A New Era
by Venquine1990
Summary: Where exactly did Merlin come from? And how old is Harry's family really? And why did Pettigrew allow for 11 years of Friendship to suddenly go to waste? Read and find out! WARNING, THIS STORY HOLDS MULTI-PAIRING AND ALONG WITH SOME ADULT THEMED RELATIONSHIPS AND MALE-ON-MALE ROMANCE! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
1. A Discovery And An Oath Taken

_**A new era**_

_**Chapter one  
**__**A discovery and oath taken**_

_**Harry's POV**_

We just got Umbridge in trouble with Centaurs, got ourselves out of her clutches and found Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna at the wooden Suspension bridge connecting the Grounds and the Stone Circle to the Clocktower Courtyard. Yet, while my friends talk about our trip to London and the Ministry is something bugging me.  
When I had been held by Umbridge, tied to a chair, the ropes cutting into my flesh, and wandless had I been confused by the emotions swirling through the eyes of the woman in pink. It had been a hatred I had not even seen in Voldemort's face and that was rich, seeing how Voldemort has been wanting me dead since I was born.  
But when we had Umbridge at the mercy of the Centaurs, the woman had strangely enough turned to me and her eyes almost gave me the belief that she would swear fealty to my line if I were to get her out of her sticky situation. Yet my need for truth and revenge had made me use her own weapon against her and she had been carried off.

I look off in the distance as I contemplate this and I wonder: "Why is she so against me." The others look at me shocked and Ron asks: "Umbridge? Who cares? We have to save Sirius, right?" I nod, but only absentmindedly and Hermione asks: "Harry, what's the matter?" And I turn back to her, seeing all their worried looks of confusion.  
I shake my head and say: "I – I don't know. It's – it's the way Umbridge has been behaving towards me all year. Those two Dementors she ordered to take my soul, the way she insisted on the blood quills, the Cruciatus curse she was willing to put me under. It's – it's almost as if she wants me dead – but – but why?"

Everyone looks shocked and Luna says: "Because of your mother." We all look at her and she crouches down, shockingly enough ripping loose a wooden plank. "Luna!" Hermione shouts shocked, but Luna ignores her and grabs her wand, changing the plank into a simple sword before standing up and handing it to me.  
I look at her confused and she says: "Just hold it up and fill it with your magic. Trust me, Harry, son of Lily." And somehow, perhaps because she uses my mother's name instead of my father's, do I indeed trust her. I grab the sword and she smiles as she says: "That's it. Just hold it up and fill it with your magic, with your very instinct."  
Wondering what she could be on about, I look at her and see a loyalty in her eyes I have never seen before not even when Ron, Hermione and I were about to enter the Third floor Corridor and I told them they could still go back, upon which they refused and swore they'd be with me. Shocked by the loyalty, I decide to do as she says.

I close my eyes and hold the sword with my right hand, holding it up high and with the tip slightly tilting to the left back. I then focus on my magic, like I often do when I hold back during classes, but instead of holding back to make sure my magic isn't observable, do I let it out and do I slowly let it seep into the sword.  
Upon feeling my magic touching the hilt of the sword, do I feel it uniting with the metal like it never did with my wand and I gasp, raising the sword just a little higher and feeling the blade, the hilt and the very shape change as the magic seeps further into the weapon, all the while keeping my eyes closed in focus.

I hear my friends gasp once the magic reaches and has changed the end of the hilt, but keep my eyes closed until it reaches the very tip, which was as square as the plank, but changes to be sharp and pointy and then finally do I open my eyes, only to be mesmerized and amazed by what my magic has been able to do to the blade.  
A round plate, made of two golden circular plates, is at the start of the hilt and goes down the hilt to the handle, which has black leather wrapped around it, while a small, almost indiscernible sign is engraved in the middle golden plate at the start. The end of the hilt is also made of gold and has a single square with the same sign on both sides.  
At the start of the blade a sun is shown, the rays reaching out to a black circle surrounding it all and in the circle letters are engraved, but I pay it no attention yet, examining the rest of the sword. The blade is double sided, meaning I can cut with both sides, but there is a small line indented in the middle of it all, ending just before the blade slinks in width.  
There are two other engravings on only one side of the blade and one of them is a clover with six petals, which is in between the other two signs which look like two eights next to each other with a small sword in the four corners of the engravings. All in the all the blade is amazing, but then my attention is drawn to the sun and the circle.

Squinting my eyes, I try to read what is engraved on the top of the circle, but then Luna bows down again, this time down on her knees and with her hands in a circle above her head as she says: "The Noble Line of Lovegood, descendant of Sir Bedivere, swears their fealty to the Crown and King of Magical England. So I swear, so mote it be."  
I look at her shocked and Hermione asks: "Luna, what is all this? Why are you swearing fealty to the crown?" And the girl happily answers: "Because England finally has a king again, of course." And I see her gazing at the sword, her entire stance still in a bow and I look myself, finally discerning the words on the circle.

_Excalibur  
__King Arthur_

The first is written at the top side of the circle and the rest on the bottom side, yet both shock me greatly and I ask: "Ki-king Arthur? This is the Legendary sword Excalibur? The sword of King Arthur himself? Is this for real, Luna?" And while my friends look at me in pure shock, does the girl answer: "Yes, my liege."  
And this alone is proof enough that I am indeed holding Excalibur. But then Neville asks the question I wanted and asks: "But what does Excalibur have to do with Umbridge? Or Harry's mum for that instance?" And the girl answers: "The wind told me that Harry was born because the Potter curse broke Morgana's curse upon Arthur's line."

This makes me shake my head and I ask: "The Potter curse? What is that? And what do you mean Morgana's curse upon Arthur's line?" And Ginny says: "Legend has it that, to give Mordred, the bastard son of King Arthur, more chance to the throne, Morgana Le Fay cursed Arthur's line to only bare females."  
Ron nods and says: "Yeah, dad told us that. And the Potter curse, a curse that bonds a Potter male to a partner perfect for him by magic, character and destiny, is 1500 generations old, so that should be strong enough to break a curse almost just as old, don't you think?" Ginny nods at her brother and I ask them both in shock:  
"You – you don't believe this is possible, do you? That I – that I'm – that I'm the heir to the throne?" But the two share a glance and Ginny asks: "Hold the sword up again, would you?" I wonder why, but do as asked and she looks at me, tilting her head first to the left and then to the right, before she smiles and says:

"Yep, definitely a royal look." Shocking me. Then Luna pulls my attention as she says: "My liege, if we leave now, we will find more on the Umbridge woman and your reign will be able to start with a blast. Worry not, your knight is safe. The wind has just told me so." It takes me a while to figure out what she means and I ask:  
"So you're saying we should still go to the Ministry because it will help me find out why Umbridge wants me dead, but that Sirius will not be there?" And Luna nods, before her kneeling starts to freak me out and I say: "Luna, you can get up, you know." The girl smiles and then Hermione asks: "But how do we get there?" And Luna answers: "We fly, of course."

_**30 minutes later**_

I have the prophesy in my hand, Neville on my left, Hermione behind me on my left, Luna and Ginny right behind me and Ron behind me on my right and have at least two death Eaters coming from all four sides, the six of us standing the middle in a plus-shaped hallway leading four different ways and allowing us to be surrounded.  
I already know what the Death Eaters are telling us, that Sirius is not here, but I don't understand why Luna would first swear fealty to my supposed line as King and then lure me here only for us all to fall for a trap. But then, as if reading my mind, the girl says: "Cast a spell on the ball in your hand, Harry. A History spell."  
This seems to infuriate the Death Eaters in front of me – Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange – but I trust the heir of Bedivere and whisper the spell with my mind, keeping my wand aimed for the pale blonde and starved looking black-haired woman. Before my mind's eye the history of the ball appears and I read:  
_Created by Sybill Trelawney on the 24__th__ of December 1979. Heard by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Forced out by Dolorus Jane Umbridge. Goal: To Make Tom Riddle kill Harry Potter. Truth: 20%. Already completed parts: 20%. _This shocks me senseless and I whisper barely audible: "It's a dud."

Everyone looks at me and I say: "The Prophesy, it's a dud. It's not real. It was forced out by a spell. It was never supposed to be made." Everyone looks at me shocked and Malfoy aims his wand at the ball, casting the same spell and I can almost see the same information appearing before his own mind's eye, the information shocking him.  
He looks from the ball to me and then says: "He's telling the truth. The prophesy has only 20% truth in it and that is already completed, the rest is just air and folly." He then looks at me and asks: "Tell me Potter, what do you have that would make Umbridge cause all of this? What do you have that she wanted even then?"

I shrug and Luna says: "Harry, the line. The sword. It belongs to you and with it –." This shocks me and I mutter: "Does the crown." The Death Eaters look shocked and confused and Hermione asks: "But why would Umbridge think she has right to the crown?" And Luna answers: "She is Mordred's Heir of course."  
This shocks us all and Ron asks: "Mordred's heir? The Mordred? The illegitimate son of King Arthur that ruled Magical England with nothing but tyranny and selfish vanity?" Luna nods and says: "Umbridge would have had the crown, had the Evans line – descended from King Arthur himself – birthed one more daughter."  
To this Malfoy says: "But Evans was pregnant of Potter, of which the line was known to produce males because of the Potter curse and so, to prevent the boy to take the throne –." And Lestrange ends: "That cold-hearted bitch lures our Lord to kill an Ancient Line and a Royal line, only out of her own inherited evil greediness."

We all look at each other shocked and then one Death Eater, one who's posture I recognize as Walden Macnair, the man that almost killed Buckbeak the Hippogriff back in my Third asks: "But how do we know that this is really our new king? What proof is there? What proof does Potter have to show us this is all real?"  
And, acting purely on instinct – while I have no idea how it got there – do I pull Excalibur from the holder on my back and swing it as easily as if it were a wand, before holding it high above my head in the same stance as when I changed the transfigured sword into this wonderful weapon, the light catching the tip of the blade.  
Light shines from the tip and enlightens the small sun with circle and the name engraved on the blade. The Death Eaters all gasp and then – from the corner of my eye – I see Ginny and Ron share a glance before they both bow down, Ron down on one knee and Ginny in the same stance as Luna before they both start to chant:

"We, Ronald Billius Weasley and Ginerva Molly Weasley, swear our fealty to Harry James Potter Pendragon, the Heir of King Arthur Pendragon and Rightful Prince to the Throne of Magical England. May our family follow us in our loyalty and may our loyalty to the crown and our new king never waver. So we swear, so mote it be."  
In perfect sync the two speak and I feel a magical bond binding their loyalty to my magic, causing me to gasp and forcing me to hold back tears of gratitude. They then both stand up and to my shock, Neville does the same, actually showing his back to one of the three people responsible for his parents being tortured into insanity.

The Death Eaters seem to watch over this with careful eyes and I hold my sword in my hand steadily, ready to strike any of them down if they make a wrong move, but then Malfoy puts his wand back in his cane and with both hands on the snake head, he bows down, his knees down like Luna, and before my shocked eyes, he says:  
"I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Malfoy, swear the fealty of my Family to Harry James Potter Pendragon, Heir to King Arthur Pendragon of the Pendragon Line and the Rightful First Heir to the Throne. May my loyalty never waver and may it hold my family safe from harm. So I swear, so mote it be."  
Then, as the man stands up, do I realize what he did and I have to shake my head at his clever cunning way of ensuring that his family – probably mostly his son – cannot be used by Voldemort as he cannot – through the Fealty oath – be used against me, which in turn protects him from becoming a Death Eater and taking the Mark.

I can barely believe what has happened here, but then the other Death Eaters go down as well, some of them swearing the same oath as Neville and others – Crabbe and Goyle Senior – swearing the same oath as Lucius and I have to silently give it to the three men for their clever way of protecting their son against serving Voldemort.  
I nod at them all and then Lucius says: "My Liege, if you will accept it, we will return you and yours to Hogwarts and we will explain these transpiring events to the Lord of Slytherin. Do know that, if the Lord of Slytherin still wants to kill you after hearing our reports, I will personally cut off my left arm and betray him."  
And the Death Eaters nod in agreement. Not wanting them to hurt themselves just to prove their loyalty to me, I look around and spot a prophesy with the v-mark, processing it as already fulfilled. I grab it and throw it on the floor, casting a levitation and Portkey spell on some shards and sending those to the Death Eaters.  
They all look shocked and I say: "If Voldemort wants to kill me after hearing where my mother's line comes from, I don't want you cutting off your arm, I simply want you to use these Portkeys and get the hell away from him. I can handle his anger, I've felt it all year. Your safety and your lives are more important to me."

The Death Eaters smile and I motion Neville over to Macnair, while taking Luna with me to Lestrange and Malfoy. I then hand the blonde the prophesy and he bows before putting it in his inner robe pocket. He then softly, tenderly grabs my arm and I feel as if I am being squeezed through a tube of tooth paste at incredible speed.  
Feeling myself as if I just got pushed out of the opening when I land I shudder and the Lord of Malfoy bows as he says: "My apologies, my liege. I believed you were well-used to side-Apparation." And I shake my head and say: "Portkey, Knightbus and Floo. Never apparation." The man nods and looks at me as he says:

"If I may, My liege, I would like to suggest that you use a Heritage Potion. If your mother's family comes from the Pendragon line then I would consider that a proper reason to see what other Ancient Lines you have left in your blood. Legend has it one of your Ancestors once needed 11 heirs for all his Ancestral lines."  
This shocks me and makes me agree with a nod, before the twelve Death Eaters bow to me yet again and Disapparate, but not before I hear footsteps running my way. Fearing the heavy sounds coming from behind me, I draw Excalibur up and change footing to turn around with lightning speed – only to see Snape running at us.  
The man seems shocked to see us standing here and I say: "Just the man I needed. Professor Snape, I need Heritage Potion and I need a lot of it." The man glares at me and Ron snaps: "Hey, don't glare at your King. Want to get executed for treason?" The man raises an eyebrow at him and I snap: "Ron, a little overdone, you know?"  
The man then turns back to me and I show him Excalibur, the man's black eyes widening as he sees the name written on the blade. He then looks at me and I say: "My mother." Shocking him, before he bows low and says: "Please follow me to my chambers, my liege." And I nod, while working purely on instinct right now.


	2. The Parchment Shows All

_**Chapter 02  
**__**The Parchment shows all**_

We follow the greasy haired man through the gates, up the grounds, past the bridge and the courtyard, through the Grand Staircase and down to the Dungeons, where Snape leads us into the same office I have been in many times over the last half of the year. He then tells us to wait and retrieves the purple draught with clear bubbles flowing through.

The man then hands me the potion, but on our way here had I secretly noticed Malfoy following us from the First floor on and while keeping quiet about him spying on us from around the corner of the doorframe, do I listen as Snape says: "Just spread this over your hand and then rub your hand over a piece of parchment while drinking the rest."  
I nod and Hermione hands me a roll of parchment. Knowing that Arthur lived more than a couple of centuries ago, I spread the roll over the floor and put Excalibur back in the holder, before casting an enlarging spell with my wand as I say: "Arthur is centuries ago, surely my family tree has many more ancient lines to show."  
The Potions teacher nods and I stop the spell when the parchment is as large and wide as Hagrid. The man steps back as I do and says: "Good, now do as I said and remember to think of your family trees when you spread your hand over the parchment." I nod, but then look down at the potion, which I hold in my left hand.

Tilting my hand a little I see the words _I Must Not Tell Lies_ engraved in my skin and I think: "There is no way I can think of both my parents' lines long enough to make the potion work properly. But three drops of blood work as well with this potion as three drops of Veritaserum dosed within a simple goblet of water."  
And with that I start scratching at my wound with the nails of my right hand, causing the M of _Must_ to bleed once again and I tear a bit of fabric from my robe before dropping three drops of my blood in the vial and wrapping the ripped fabric around my hand. I see Snape and my friends looking at me shocked and I say:  
"I won't be able to think of my parents' lines long enough for the potion to work properly, but I know that three drops of blood work as well on this potion as three drops of Veritaserum on a regular wizard." The Potions Master nods, while Ron looks at me flabbergasted and Hermione smiles in ecstatic pride.

I then spread the potion over my wand hand and start swiping that over the parchment, all the while letting Hermione help me drink the potion as closing my fingers now hurts the wound too badly for me to try. I move from the left to the right in even swipes and slowly work down the ten foot wide and fifty foot long roll of parchment.  
Reaching the bottom just when I gulp down the last drop of the potion, I raise my hand slowly and see my own name _Harry James Pendragon (Potter Née Evans) _written where my hand was seconds ago, my father's name on the left above it and my mother's on the right, their parents above them and their ancestors above their parents.

We look in shock as the potion actually causes the parchment to become as wide as it is long and more and more names appear, spreading over the paper like snakes and I see several lines stopping with a certain name, while others seem to connect with each other before dividing up again as they raise higher and higher.  
Finally both lines stop and I read the top names, shocked as I read _Godric Gryffindor_ above my father's name and _Arthur Pendragon_ above my mother's. I then whisper: "So it's true." And everyone looks at the same name as I do, all our eyes almost pasted to the name _Pendragon_ and I gulp as it finally crashes down on me.

I really am the Heir of Pendragon. My mother really was a Pendragon, a line cursed by Morgana Le Fay to bare only females and my father's Potter curse really did allow for her to break that curse – something that led Umbridge to creating the Prophesy, that in turn forced Voldemort to hunt me down and kill my parents.  
I sag down on the ground in shocked defeat and whisper: "I – I just don't believe this. Did she – did she know? Did my mother know?" But no one answers and Neville asks: "Should we check your other ancient Lines, my liege?" I nod, sit back up and focus back on my mother's side of the parchment, my eyes following another direct line.  
It twists and turns throughout her entire family line and I slowly see the name change from Evans, to Evaline, to Everclaw and then – to everyone's shock – to Ravenclaw, finally ending with the name _Rowena Ravenclaw_. My eyes widen and I follow the line with my finger one more time, again seeing the name change and again ending up with that name.

This time Hermione catches me and I ask: "Rowena Ravenclaw? I am Heir to Rowena Ravenclaw? One of my Ancestors is a Hogwarts Founder?" To which Neville asks: "Harry, do you know what this means?" I look at him, the slightly chubby boy smiling at me and I ask: "That I get to stay at Hogwarts over the summer?"  
The boy looks shocked and then shakes his head and says: "Yes, that too, but I didn't mean that. Harry, remember why Malfoy told you to do this? About that legend of one of your ancestors?" And I ask in shock: "I have to have an heir for Both lines?" Neville nods and says: "An Heir and a wife – or husband depending on how you swing."

I feel as if the shocks can't overwhelm me anymore and I ask: "So – does that – does that mean that –that if we find any more ancient Lines, I am to get a partner and Heir for those lines as well?" And Neville nods as he says: "You already need 4 of them. One for Potter, one for Gryffindor, one for Ravenclaw and one for Pendragon."  
I look at the boy shocked and then, while wishing and hoping that it won't happen again, does my finger again trace my father's line, finally ending with one _Ignotus Peverell_. To this I tilt my head and I ask: "Ignotus Peverell? Who's that?" But my friends all seem as lost as I am and then I ask: "Malfoy, you've got an idea?"

And a shocked gasp comes from behind me, while my friends look at me shocked for having known of his presence and the boy walks over as he asks: "How long have you –?" And I answer: "I saw you following us when we turned left to take another staircase down from the first floor." And the boy grumbles at this.  
He then looks down and asks: "Your family tree?" I nod and say: "We already discovered that I am Heir of the Potter, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Pendragon Line and that I am the first and only Heir to the Throne of Magical England. We just don't understand why my father's second line starts with Ignotus Peverell."

The blonde looks shocked and asks: "Are you for real? Ignotus Peverell? The youngest of the three brothers?" And while I wonder what he is on about, does Ron ask: "Wait, three brothers? As in the Tale of the Three Brothers? The one in the Tales of Beetle the Bard?" Malfoy nods and I ask: "What are you talking about?"  
Both boys look at me as if I've grown an extra head and I say: "Muggle raised, remember?" To which Ron asks: "Surely you had Beetle the Bard tales while growing up?" But Hermione says: "No Ron, we had what Muggles call fairy tales, stories made up by Muggles like Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."  
Both boys now look at her the same way they looked at me seconds ago and the girl moans: "Impossible. You're bloody impossible." To which I ask: "So what's so special about this brother? Or that tale?" And Ron turns excited as he says: "Oh, you'll love the Tale of the Three Brothers, Harry. I practically grew up with it."

Malfoy nods and I say: "Fire away." And Ron squeals softly as he says: "Once upon a time there were three brothers who were each a year younger than the other and who were very, very skilled in the arts of practicing magic. They travelled over the world and one night they arrived at a field that was cut in half by a wild stream.  
The three brothers all drew their wands, knowing that if they crossed the river they would die and instead cast spells that changed the grass on both sides into a bridge, which they crossed. But halfway up the bridge they came across a figure of darkness, cloaked in an old robe and with ravens flying around him; Death."  
I feel amazed at how well Ron can tell the tale and see that even Malfoy seems impressed as Ron goes on: "Death was furious as the river was his favorite way of gathering souls, but he was also cunning and instead of raging, he congratulated the brothers on their perfect art of magic and offered them each a special gift.

The first brother was vain and arrogant and thus wished for an unbeatable wand, one with which he could beat any opponent he could come across on his travels. Death smirked at his arrogance and broke a long twig from an Elder tree handing it to the brother before returning to the middle of the bridge to the other two brothers.  
The second was less vain, but he was intelligent and caring and he wished for an item with which he could revive the dead." This makes me wish for the same, if only to see my parents or apologize to Cedric and I listen on: "Death went into the river himself drew out a small stone and handed it to the brother, telling him it would grant his wish.  
He then turned to the last brother, who was – according to the tale of my mother – always bullied by the kind heart he had and how he only used his magic when absolutely necessary. Again the brother showed his good heart, but also that he was smarter than his brothers, he wished for something that would let him evade death until he was ready.

Death grumbled at this, but was a man of his word and handed the youngest brother his own Cloak of Invisibility. The three brothers then passed the bridge and each went their own way. The first went to the nearest town, the second went back home and the last went from town to town, evading death and settling down after a year or two.  
The first brother, upon arriving at the town, went to the bar, challenged the strongest wizard there and beat him before calling dips on his girl and giving rounds, getting drunk and boasting about his talent and his unbeatable wand without paying attention to who he was talking to. That night his throat was slit and his wand stolen."

This shocks me and Ron says: "Death had claimed the first brother in less than a week, but it took the second brother the same time to get back home. There he used the Stone and brought back the bride he lost upon their wedding. He lived with her, but she was but a phantom of herself, not human, yet not a ghost either.  
The brother could see and walk with his love, but he could not touch her, could not kiss her, could not hold her while sleeping and in the end, the second brother hang himself, undoing the spell that brought his bride back to him and dying as he didn't want to live while his love was unhappy by his side. Death claimed the second brother."  
My eyes widen and I wonder how Ron and the others can live, growing up with such death-filled tales and Ron says: "But as I said, the third brother had been immensely smart. He had used the Cloak whenever he sensed death near him, settled down, got a son and a grandson and then, finally, gave the cloak to his son and left with Death – as a friend."

This makes me smile and I think: "Not all that different from Muggle fairy tales. Sounds terrible halfway through, but ends with a happy ending." Then Malfoy says: "And that tale has been told so many times over the last thousand years that it is now a child's tale, instead of an actual recap of the Peverell history.  
Barely anyone remembers that it was the Peverell brothers that are the brothers in the tale or that they themselves created these items in the face of the many wars they actually faced. Only the House of Black and the House of Malfoy are still told this tale after growing up with the Tale of the Three brothers their entire youth."  
He then turns to me and says: "And you being the Heir of Ignotus Peverell, the youngest of the three brothers, means you have to have inherited his greatest creation, the Cloak of Invisibility." Instantly Ron, Hermione and I share shocked glances and Hermione says: "It – it does explain how that – that thing still works, doesn't it?"  
And I nod, barely able to believe that the cloak I have been using for the past 5 years is actually an ancient heirloom, an heirloom spoken off in a child's tale almost the entire wizarding world grows up with. Then Malfoy asks: "So you actually have it?" And I nod, saying: "Dumbledore gave it to me for Christmas in First."  
The blonde nods and then Snape says: "Well Potter, I have to say. Five ancient lines, of which one even a royal line. That will cause quite the commotion, not to mention how it will make your love life quite busy." And I blush as I realize I will have to bond myself to five people and give them each a son to keep up the family lines.  
Then a female voice says: "Sure is about time you found out about it." And we all turn to the doorway, where we see a lightly tanned girl with long blonde-brown hair that lies down her back and who has the most amazing sapphire blue eyes I have ever seen, while part of her hair hangs over her ears and frames her face just right.


	3. Several Engagements Set

_**Chapter 03  
**__**Several engagements set**_

I look shocked at this young girl, mostly over the fact that I never noticed her before and then suddenly, feel something within me unleash itself, going from my magical core to my heart and plucking some ancient magic from there that I can suddenly sense lying dormant, before – in several beams – shooting out of my back.  
Everyone gasps at this and the beams – I quickly count them to be eight – shoot to the door, one of them heading straight for the blonde girl. I shout at her, wanting to protect her, but the beam simply fastens itself around her forehead and solidifies, turning into a golden band with a silver band in the middle and heavily engraved.  
There are diamonds, pearls, crystals, rubies, emeralds and other gemstones going up and down in a v-shaped and upturned-v-shaped pattern and in-between this all kinds of signs and signatures engraved on the top and bottom of the golden band. I look shocked at how the band pulls back the girl's hair and makes her all the more beautiful.

I look at her shocked and Snape asks: "Are you alright, Mss. Greengrass?" And for some reason do I get the feeling that the name Greengrass fits this beautiful girl like a glove, while still bringing shame to how beautiful she actually is and she says: "Yes Professor, I think it's just the engagement magic settling in."  
And I ask: "Engagement magic?" The girl smiles at me, showing me a sweet and soft kindness I had not expected of her and she says: "My father told me that, when you were born, he approached your mother and that he told her of how she was of the Pendragon line and how he – and with that I – am of the Lancelot Line.  
This is very important, because Lancelot was a loyal knight to King Arthur, but through a curse brought upon him and Guinevere, they betrayed him and slept together. Lancelot and Guinevere were arrested and locked away for treason, but King Arthur believed his tale of the curse and Lancelot swore to Arthur he would repay him.  
He swore that his first female heir would marry the first male heir of Arthur and Arthur accepted this repayment of a depth of loyalty, but was unaware of the curse Morgana had placed upon his line. And thus, for hundreds of years, Arthur's line only produced female heirs and my family has been unable to repay the depth all this time."

I look at the girl shocked and she says: "My father told me this tale when I was eleven, a week before we left for Hogwarts and when I saw you, I decided I would wait and see how this would turn out. Over the years, I've been waiting for you to wonder about your family line, but I swore myself I would give you all the time you needed."  
She then smiles at me and says: "After all, even the Boy-Who-Lived deserves the chance to have crushes and grow up as a regular teenage lad, don't you think?" And I nod, while in my heart I can barely believe how brilliant this young girl is – for her to accept that I want to be a regular boy even with my title and fame.  
I smile at her and she asks: "So, next Hogsmeade weekend?" And I blush as I say: "Eh – sure, just – don't expect too much. I'm – well – kind of horrible with dates – and dating girls for that fact." Daphne laughs softly, making me smile at her and Malfoy says: "Never thought I'd see you laugh, Greengrass."

And the girl turns stern, making my smile disappear and making me want to make her smile again as she says: "Just because I wanted for my fiancé to have a regular childhood doesn't mean I would allow myself the same. I am his wife to be and I have sworn my loyalty to him. Not just as my king, but as my friend and fiancé."

This makes me smile at her, amazed at how loyal this girl can be to someone she doesn't even know and I say: "Thank you very much, Daphne. I promise I'll try to reward your loyalty to me the best I can." The girl smiles at me and I hear Malfoy whisper: "Grab her hand and kiss the back of it. It shows your good heart and manners."  
I nod and walk over to the girl, doing as Malfoy said and bowing as I do so. The girl smiles again, making me feel warm and proud of myself and then Snape asks: "Mss. Greengrass, did your father perhaps take the Potter Curse into account when he told Lily of this situation between your two family lines and their history?"  
And the girl gasps as she says: "No – no he did not. We completely forgot about that." She then looks at me and I see her sadness and regret shine in her eyes, turning the sapphire color into a dull blue and I grab her hand again as I say: "Don't worry, I'm sure my ancient magic just solved that problem when it shot off all those lights."  
And the girl smiles as she says: "You're right, those other lights must have send the same circlets to your other partners." She then tilts her head and asks: "But why send off seven others?" And I shake my head and say: "I don't know. I know I have 5 lines to present a male heir to, but why there were 8 beams of light, I don't understand either."

And looking at my friends, I can tell that they are as clueless to this as I am, before Snape sighs and says: "My guess is that our king is of Neutral Nature, making have a need for both a Submissive as well as a Dominant mate." I nod, not too sure if I fully understand and tentatively ask: "Do you really think so, professor?"  
The man nods and says: "Yes, Mr. Potter, as I am a Neutral myself, I feel as if that could very well be the most logical reason for the 7 lights we just saw shoot out of my office." And Neville says: "And up into the night sky." And we all see him standing at the window. We run over and I see the beams disappear high above Hogwarts, into the stars.

_**Lea's POV**_

It's been a quiet and peaceful year, something I am very grateful for seeing the last decade. Last year on Halloween Sora and Riku took their Mark of Mastery exam and I was finally allowed to return back to my natural human self after spending 11 years as a Heartless and Nobody. I returned along with many other members of Organization 13.  
With this return of human form also came the return of Master Xehanort, who wanted the X-blade and for a new Keyblade War to erupt, only for him to come out the victor and create the many worlds we have in our Universe to his will, regardless of the happiness and peace that many of the worlds currently experienced.  
Sora and Riku were supposed to be used for Master Xehanort's plan of forging the X-blade, but my return and my promise – as the Nobody Axel – to Roxas that I would always be there to bring him back helped me stop the man just when he was about to complete his plan, to the agitation of my old ex-friend Isa.  
Isa had given his heart and soul up for that of Xehanort and was now a Human Nobody, being told mentally what to do by the man controlling his soul. He had attacked me when I had saved Sora from suffering the same fate and with that our friendship, a friendship we had had since our birth, had been officially over.  
Xehanort had then retreated and it had taken Riku and Sora a few days before they admitted that this experience had made them fall head over heels for each other, even if it was obvious to me that they had fallen for each other much sooner than this. It had been Riku who had confessed his love and Sora had happily responded.

I shake my head as I know darn well that the kiss the two boys had shared still makes Riku's toes curl when he thinks back on it, but then sigh as I remember master Xehanort's dumbest – and one of his final – moves. He had kidnapped Riku on Valentine's day of all days and had cursed his Keyblade to fill Riku with darkness every time he summoned it.  
Sora had been furious and outraged when he had seen his boyfriend look defeated and worn-out, even if the Organization had not touched or hurt him in anyway other than knock him out while kidnapping him and sending him back and the defeated form of his boyfriend had urged Sora into a revenge that ended the Organization for good.

He had unleashed the powers and souls of Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Roxas, Axel and Xion and had used their powers to unleash the Twilight Wings of Fate upon the Organization, eradicating its 12 members and returning his six friends back into human forms. This had been the end of the Organization and the start of a Twilight Universe.  
I smile as this had happened months ago and now Roxas and Axel, Xion and Kairi and Sora and Riku were all happily dating, Kairi and Xion here in Radiant Garden, Riku and Sora in Destiny Islands and Axel and Roxas in Twilight Town, where Axel often had to suppress his jealousy because of the close bond between Roxas and Hayner.

Roxas had explained to Hayner and his gang that he and the gang were the best of friends in the virtual world and the three had been more than willing to give that same friendship a chance, a chance that quickly changed into a friendship closer than the one between Roxas and the virtual versions of the same gang.  
Roxas had been feeling bumped that his friends had school and thus didn't have the same time for him as they had had during the summer he had spend in the virtual world, but he and Axel had happily moved into the same house as the one he occupied in the virtual world, a house that – shockingly enough – had been empty for years.

I nod to myself and think: "Life has certainly been looking up the last few months." But then see four lights coming from the sky and while one of the beams splits from the other three and heads for Merlin's house, do the other three head for my location, splitting into three separate beams, of which one still heads my way.  
I see it slowing down the closer it gets and wonder if this is a new way for Master Yen Sid to call on me, but then the beam wraps itself around my head and I feel the light turning into metal – or better into gold and silver. Touching the now solid band on my head, I feel all kinds of stones set in a certain pattern and words engraved on the band.  
I then look around and see Even and Ienzo running over, both of them wearing the same band as I must be wearing and Evan says: "Oh good, you're wearing one too. Ienzo and I were already wondering why we got these, while there seemed to be no circlets send to Dilan or Aeleus. I do wonder what they're meant for."  
I shrug and see Aerith coming our way, having run and making me realize she must have been at Merlin's house as she now too carries one of the circlets. She stops at my left and Ienzo asks: "Why the four of us? What are these bands?" And Aerith says: "I don't know, but I did see another three pass our world."

_**Terra's POV**_

It's been a couple of months since the Organization was defeated, Master Xehanort had been banished from my body and I had been able to be with my friends again, yet – my time locked inside my own body with my heart in that of Sora, so close yet so far away from my friends had made me realize something I never expected.  
As I kept thinking of Aqua and Ventus, who's hearts were also inside Sora, I could only imagine Aqua's amazing blue hair, Ventus' small face and frame, the way Aqua's two belts cross each other over her chest, how Ventus' hair would move up on the right of his head, but down to frame his face on the left.  
And all these thoughts, all these memories of my friends and their finest aspects, not only kept my body and soul alive inside Xehanort, but also strengthened me as I slowly but surely fell in love. Yet, it's now been a few months and I have yet to confess to how I feel as I just don't want to ruin the friendship I just found back in my life.

I had of course, out of instinct, made a few moves – I know I will drive myself nuts if I hadn't – yet Aqua seems to think they are just brotherly signs of affection and Ventus seems too young and naïve to realize how I am coming onto him romantically. This is something my heart weeps over, but that I gratefully accept.  
Currently I am swinging my Keyblade in fast circles, causing a soft wind to blow my and Ventus' way as he reads a book, while we both sit under a large conifers tree, stationed just a few cliffs below the stone bench where we all met the night before my and Aqua's Mark of Mastery exams, exams that started the mess of the last decade.  
I happily accept the cool breeze as Aqua had easily been able to change Castle Oblivion back into The Land of Departure, which had really shocked Riku and Sora as the two had apparently been through some very heavy stuff here while it was still Castle Oblivion, but as the Land of Departure, the greens and flora were brilliant as ever.

Suddenly I notice Ventus' head dropping my way and glancing at him from the corner of my eye, I feel shocked as the blonde lad has apparently fallen asleep thanks to the easy reading, shaded sun and soft breeze caused by my Keyblade. Looking at the closed eyelids and the cute, feminine yet manly face, I have to bite my lip in restraint.  
Restraint not to take advantage of my slumbering love and instead of doing so, do I softly, carefully, move Ventus from leaning on my shoulder to lying his head on my lap – far away from my hips. The lad slightly murmurs and I fear for him waking, but then he lies his hand on my knees, pulls in his own legs and sleeps on.

I smile, feeling happier than I have in a long while and while I change the position of my Keyblade, do I keep the wind blowing on his face softly, pushing his hair back and yet the wind seems unable to blow that up-turned curl out of his hair that I love so much. Sighing, I slightly give into my emotions and softly pet the curl.  
The hair whips back up every time my hand leaves the soft threads and I smile, happy that Ventus trusts me this much and even happier with the fact that we – in a way – can be together again, even if just as friends. Then suddenly the voice of a – to me – female goddess speaks and says: "My, my, isn't he just adorable?"

And Aqua joins us, sitting on my right and leaning her head back against the tree, sighing and closing her eyes, causing the darkness of her dark blue eye lashes to come in even sharper contrast with the white color of her tan even more than normally and she says: "This sure is a lovely place to just enjoy our new lives, isn't it?"  
And I nod, not really understanding what she means, but just glad that I can be there for the two people my heart has been dedicated to so long ago. She then looks up, her eyes sparkling like they always do whenever she thinks of something concerning friends and she says: "I just still cannot believe it."

But this spurs my interest and I ask: "Cannot believe what?" And she says: "That the two young boys we both met so long ago and that young girl I met in Radiant Garden are actually the ones that saved us. That saved our entire world." To this I nod, as I myself needed some time to realize this myself after hearing their tale.  
It had been a few hours after Sora had unleashed our hearts and used the bodies of the Organization to give us back our bodies and Sora had just brought us all to Master Yen Sid, to who we had bowed and who had expressed his intense relief at seeing us back safe and sound, before profoundly thanking Sora and Riku for our return.  
This had caused my confusion, which had been at the tip of my tongue since I realized I had a body and that Sora – the young boy I met so long ago – stand in the middle of the circle of chairs we were sitting on, to burst and Ventus, Aqua and I had spend over three hours listening to the tale of Sora and Riku and their journeys.

The fact that Master Xehanort had used them like he had, first Riku through his Heartless and then Sora and his Keyblade through his Nobody, had infuriated us all, but Riku had calmed us down by expressing how that had been what made the two fall for each other, the very love that led to our eventual return to human bodies.  
We had, all three of us, been glad that the two were even closer than they had been when we met them, but it had still taken us some time – and Aqua changing Castle Oblivion back into The Land of Departure – before we had fully grasped the fact that the two young boys we had met so long ago, were the Keyblade Masters that saved us.

I then sigh and say: "Well, at least my apprentice was able to achieve my goal." But then Aqua lies a hand on my leg, just above the spot where Ventus' head lies and she says: "Don't feel bad, Terra. That's the whole reason I'm here. Master Yen Sid called." This instantly tenses me up in worry and the woman laughs:  
"Don't worry, he had good news. You passed, Terra. Master Yen Sid believed, that because you were able to hold your own and keep your body and mind active while under control of a Keyblade Master and Seeker of Darkness, you deserve the term Keyblade Master. Your suffering was the test that made you pass."

I can barely believe what I am hearing and think: "The only thing that could make this better is if –." But then the sun suddenly brightens enough to shine through the shades of the conifers leaves and Ventus groans as he wakes up, while Aqua looks away with her eyes closed and I hold my hand above my face to look at the cause.  
Three small beams of light, each almost golden and silver colored and very small, shoot our way and seem to lessen in speed the closer they get to us. Instantly Aqua has her Keyblade ready and I grab mine with a firm hand, stopping the twirls and causing the wind to lie down as we prepare ourselves to defend our friend – and my secret crush.

But the lights are just too easy to hit when they are in front of us as they don't go faster than a mile a minute and I wonder if this is really an attack or a new way of people of other worlds to communicate with us. The beams then change shape and turn into circlets, one side of the band still open and one of them shoots around my head.  
I grab it, but then feel the warmth of the light turning into some cold metal and I see the same happening to Ventus and Aqua, the first worrying me more than the second as Ventus is still slumbering slightly. The two beams turn into a set of golden bands with a silver band in between and jewels and words set into the gold.

I look at the bands in shock and ask: "What is this?" But neither of my friends has an answer, while the cold of the metal seems to have completely woken Ventus from his slumber. He lies a hand on his forehead and asks: "What is this? What am I wearing? And why are you wearing the same circlets?" But neither of us answers.


	4. The Journey Of Seven

_**Chapter 04  
**__**The journey of seven**_

_**Ienzo's POV**_

The bands appearing and changing into circlets is something I personally find fascinating and helpful as my Lexicon was able to register the beams heading this way – along with three heading for the Land of Departure – but not what they were meant for or where they came from. I open my Lexicon again and say:  
"I was able to detect their presence arriving with my Lexicon just when the beams split into four heading this way and three heading somewhere else. The location of the other three is The Land of Departure, but while I could not detect their starter location or what they were for as lights, should I be able to now that they have changed."  
My friends nod and I touch each of their headbands, magically plucking a hint of the magic – and with that four small balls of light – from each of the gems on the circlets and spread that out over the Lexicon, the book paging back and forth, while I try to discern if any of the information is alike to what I currently know.

Then suddenly I stop the paging and say: "Here, I found something." And everyone turns to stand behind me as I say: "In 1214 – on a planet called Earth, very far out of our Universe – there was a man named Atricius Potter, who had a mate that was from Agrabah." This confuses my friends and Lea asks: "Sorry, but _mate_?"  
I nod and say: "Apparently, 4500 years ago there were the Potters and there were families who had Redhead Ladies as the head of their family. The Potters were against this – the reasons seem unknown – and finally a Lady of such family had enough and cursed the Potters to, from that year on, only fall for redheads.  
The problem was that the first Potter hit by this curse instantly fell for her and he loved her so dearly and treated her so well that, upon her death bed, she changed the curse and it is now known as the Curse that – upon the age of 15 – brings young Potter males together with a partner perfect for them by magic, character and destiny."

My friends look shocked and I say: "According to this information about Atricius, he was already 21 years old and his magic was dying as he was a Submissive and needed a Dominant. In the end, he sacrificed half his magical core and the band he created allowed his mate to find him, while the beam of light first found the mate."  
Lea touches the metal again and asks: "So this band bonds us to some unknown Potter boy and makes us perfect for him by magic, character and destiny?" I nod and he looks around before he asks: "How, we're all so different?" But I had already expected that question as I had kept reading up on Potter History while he talked and say:  
"It seems that – in 1444 – Elenious Martinfield Potter did a magical inheritance test and was found worthy of the eleven Ancient Lines he descended from. He therefore also gave up some of his magic and the bands were changed to now either find a perfect Potter Curse mate along with anyone worthy of the titles."

"What a mess." Lea mumbles and he asks: "Will we ever get peace? We just defeated Xehanort – well, Sora did." But then Aerith says: "I don't see the problem. To have a younger mate to take care of and to love, that sounds like a reward for all our suffering." And the redhead has to agree with her, while my eye spots something.  
I look shocked and say: "Eeh, Lea." The redhead looks at me and I say: "It might just be you who is chosen by the Potter Curse." The man looks shocked and asks: "What makes you say that?" And I answer: "The mate is, two out of three times, a redhead, remember?" And a slender hand instantly finds its way into red locks.

Then Even says: "Even if Lea is the Potter Curse mate, we still better track down those other three bands, tell their new owners of our discoveries and then use the magic of the bands to find the lad, don't you think?" Everyone nods and Aerith says: "You guys go on ahead to the Potter lad. I'll inform everyone of what happened."  
I smile at the kind-hearted, brown haired woman and we all wave her goodbye while she leaves for Merlin's house, probably to use his magic to track down the other circlets. I then lie my hand on the pages and say: "Okay, I connected the magic of the circlets to our own Corridors. We should be able to use those for travel now."  
My two comrades nod and Lea himself seems to focus as he conjures the doorway, dark mist swirling and filling up the pathway, which I know leads to a pathway filled with blue, pink, yellow and other soft colors along with the ever-present sign of the Organization colored in white and swirling around the edges of the path.

_**Ventus' POV**_

My friends have yet to answer my questions about the headbands and I wonder if they even know why we have them now. Then suddenly Merlin shoots down from the sky, together with a young woman of Aqua's age with brown hair, pointy ears and forest green eyes – who also wears the same circlet as Aqua, Terra and I do.  
I look at it shocked and barely hear Merlin say: "Well, I certainly did not expect to arrive here of all places." And the woman asks: "Do you know this world, Merlin?" And the man answers: "Yes, yes I do, Aerith." For some reason I find the name suiting the young, elfish kind of woman and I hear Merlin talking further:  
"This is where my old friend, Master Eraqus, used to live. He was a good and loyal friend, he was, and a true mentor. Too bad Master Xehanort had to end his life." To this I see Terra wanting to interrupt, but Merlin stops him and says: "I know what you did, Master Terra, and I don't blame you, I blame him and I always will."

Glad that this amazing wizard doesn't accuse my best friend – and first of my two crushes – of killing our master, do I ask: "Merlin, why are these bands around our heads? What is the meaning of them?" And Aerith answers: "We only just discovered it ourselves. You can best see them as a reward for all our suffering."  
This confuses me and she says: "It seems that there is a living world outside our Universe and that world once connected with our Universe, only to call someone from Agrabah there, so he could join with a man named Atricius Potter." I feel shocked at the information Aerith gives me and Aqua asks: "But what does that mean for us?"  
And Aerith answers: "This line, the Potter line, is very ancient. More than 4500 years old. But back then, it was cursed to only let the males of the line fall for the one hair type that their family so despised if someone with this hair-color became Head of a family. Redheads." This makes me look at my friends and I say:  
"But that makes no sense. None of us are redhead, so why do we have these bands?" And Merlin says: "Apparently, because the line is so ancient, it doesn't just need this redhead mate to keep strong, it needs someone for all the lines it descends from." Aerith nods and says: "And that is where the four of and three of my friends come in."

Instantly Terra stands up, while I had slightly wanted to lie my head back on his shoulder and he asks: "Wait, three of your friends? You don't mean Sora, Riku and Kairi, do you?" Aerith shakes her head, causing the light to further accentuate her dark brown hair and the red ribbon holding most of it out of her face before she says:  
"I meant friends from my own home world. Ienzo, Even and Lea. We were all chosen and it was thanks to Ienzo's Lexicon that we were able to find out about this. The bands also send out a signal for us to find this new Potter and see if the bands are right, that we can really fit him thanks to magic, character and destiny."

I look from Aqua to Terra and Terra asks: "So this new Potter is someone who we don't know and who doesn't know us?" Aerith nods and Aqua asks: "Then how does he know if we're perfect for him?" But Merlin answers: "It's not always the caster that knows, Master Aqua, sometimes the Magic knows better than the caster."  
And I ask: "So you're saying that this Potter male lad might not even know that he has send us these bands? And what if we don't fit him?" To which Merlin says: "Now, now, don't worry. That curse wouldn't have existed for 4500 years if it even chose wrong, would it?" And I smile as I have to give him right.  
Merlin then swishes his walking cane – which I know is also his magic wand – and asks: "So, are you three ready to go? He must surely be waiting for you by now." I look at my two friends – and secret crushes – and then nod at Merlin, while thinking: "Loving a stranger and getting the chance to show my love for Terra and Aqua. Sweet."  
And while I have no idea that my two friends think exactly the same thing as I do, do we all stand up and walk over to Merlin, grabbing onto his robe as he swishes his cane and with speeds unlike any I have ever travelled with, even with my own personal scooter, we shoot up into the sky and out of our Universe – onto the Potter lad.


	5. Arrival And Historical Discoveries

_**Chapter 05  
**__**Arrival and Historical Discoveries**_

_**Harry's POV**_

We had been watching the lights disappear into the coming night sky for a few minutes before I sigh and say: "Well, better just head back to our dorm. Professor, can you tell London that we're back and safe?" Professor Snape nods and I decide to prove my loyalty to Daphne like she did to me and ask: "Can I escort you back, Daphne?"  
The girl smiles, something I vow to myself to let happen as many times as possible and she asks: "Sure, but do you know where my dorm is?" And while trying not to think back to my Second, do I say: "My friends and I had a little incident that allowed us to find out." To which Hermione says: "You can say that again."

And while she rubs her cheek, confusing everyone but Ron and me, do we all leave the office of the Potions teacher. I offer Daphne my arm and while many Slytherins pass us with wide eyes, does the feeling of that soft hand on my elbow make me uncaring to whatever outer attention I am currently receiving from my peers.  
We end up at exactly the right wall and I reenact Malfoy's orders, bowing and kissing the delicate hand with sharp nails at the end of her thin fingers gently, before I say: "I hope to see you at breakfast tomorrow, Daphne." And the girl answers: "I'll see you then, Harry." And she softly kisses my cheek before entering the common room.

I feel shocked and softly touch my left cheek, where I can still feel the warmth of her lips on my skin and while grinning widely, do I think: "See you tomorrow, my Queen of England." But then my smile disappears as I, for some reason, feel as if it would be unwise for me to take Daphne as my Queen when I take the throne.  
Wondering why, I leave the dungeon and up to my own common room. Walking past a window watching over the Forbidden Forest, I remember ditching Umbridge there and mutter: "Dobby." And the small House Elf with tennis ball shaped eyes and large up-turned ears appears as he asks: "How can Dobby helps Harry Potter Sir?"

And I vaguely answer: "Get Umbridge out of the forest, would you? She was caught by the Centaurs and I don't want them to become murderers. Not when I'm this close to take the crown on Magical England." The House Elf gasps and bows to me before leaving with a loud pop, making me know I have to inform the other House Elves too.  
I then enter my common room and Lee Jordan runs over as he asks: "Harry, everything alright? I heard of your vision, I've been waiting here all night." I smile at the best friend of Fred and George, who were there for me when I needed them most back in my second and say: "I'm alright, Lee, just a little dazed with all that's happened."  
The tanned older boy with dreadlocks in his black hair nods and says: "Just go up to bed, Harry. I already send an owl to the twins to let them know you almost went on another adventure. They'll probably be back here tomorrow morning." I nod, while worrying what Umbridge could do to the twins and leave for bed.

_**Lea's POV**_

Our arrival at the location of our mate takes us to a castle unlike any I have ever seen and I look up at the amazing stained glass windows, open windows with stone seating in the frames and the many towers and turrets sticking out just about everywhere. As I look around, do I suddenly see Merlin and four others arrive.  
Three of them were there when Sora brought back Axel and Roxas and I wonder what their names are as I kind of forgot, even though Mickey and Master Yen Sid both mentioned their names multiple times when we all arrived back at the Mysterious Tower and I blame the shock and fear I felt before that arrival on my forgetting.  
The brown haired man then also looks up and says: "I saw many a castle while we traveled the worlds to defeat the Unversed, but this – wow." And his blue haired female and blonde haired male friend both nod. Merlin then looks up and says: "It seems to be getting late. We better head for that little town over there to find shelter."

We all nod and leave for the nice, cozy looking town with many small houses and shop everywhere along the cobble-webbed pathway. Finally finding an old in called _The Three Broomsticks _we enter the tavern and Merlin asks a middle-aged woman behind the bar for several set of rooms. Unfortunately does the woman say:  
"Sorry, but I only have one more large room where I can put several beds in available. Everything else is full now that parents want to know how their kids are doing for their exams." Merlin nods and says: "We'll take the room, dear. Can you enchant it to be divided in two, so that the ladies can have their well-deserved privacy?"

The woman happily nods and while I can tell that the two unknown men are stealing glances at the covered cleavage of the blue-haired woman, do I personally feel slightly uncomfortable at having to see it, let alone seeing the cleavage of my friend Aerith. With that thought I let myself be lead up a couple of staircases.  
First we pass a staircase leading to the bathrooms and the woman says: "These are the public restrooms, your room has a personal bathroom and I'll install a small charm so that you can use it as a bathroom as well and so that your companions can be warned whenever one of you is there." Making us all smile at her.  
She then leads us up three more staircases and Ienzo says: "You sure wouldn't have expected this house to have this many floors when you see it from the outside." The woman laughs and says: "Most of our taverns and pubs are enchanted with an undetectable Extension charm so that we have extra room for our guests."

"How marvelous." Merlin exclaims and he raises his cane high as he says: "Magic sure has evolved since I was here last." And I ask in shock: "Was here last? Have you been to this world before then?" And the wizard laughs as he says: "Oh yes, yes, I was born in this world really, but that was a long, long time ago."  
He then swishes his cane in quick circles and says: "Ah, the beauty of combining time travel with dimension travel. You can go to any world in any time at all and not age a bit." This seems to shock everyone and the woman asks: "Sir, if you were born here, from when are you?" And the wizard happily answers:  
"From when Arthur was still king, young lady. I left only just before Salazar – ah, bless him, that fine young man – was to go on his own journey." The woman looks shocked and says softly: "No – it – it can't be." We all look at her confused while she has come to a stop halfway between the fourth and fifth floor and she asks:  
"Are you – could – could you be?" Merlin tilts his head and asks: "Could I be what, my dear?" And the woman breaths: "Merlin?" And when Merlin laughs and says: "Yes, I am indeed." Even and I have to hurry to make sure the woman doesn't fall as her legs give out beneath her. I look from her to Merlin and ask:

"Was that really necessary?" And the wizard seems to be genuinely worried over the young woman as well as he says: "Well, I didn't exactly expect her to be this shocked. Young lady, why are you so shocked that I am who you asked me to be?" And the woman answers: "Because we all use your name when we are shocked.  
It's become custom over the years. You are after all known as the first wizard to have been born here. The tales of what you did, teaching Arthur, traveling through time, enchanting Camelot, creating just about half the elixirs and potions we know today." This makes me look at the man again and I ask: "How long did you live here?"  
And the man answers: "Only fifty years really. But yes, I did just about all those things." The woman then thanks me and my partner as she stand back up and asks: "Merlin, seeing you come from the time of the Founders, may I ask a question I have been wondering about since my own school years?" And when Merlin nods the woman asks:

"What exactly caused the break between Slytherin and the other Founders?" But Merlin seems shocked and asks: "What break? There was no break between them when I left." The woman sighs and says: "You must have left before they got angry with each other. Darn, I really hoped to find out why he was so against Muggleborns."

"Against Muggleborns?" Merlin asks shocked and disturbed and he spats: "Madam, I can assure you Salazar loved all his students, no matter what their blood or skin type. He was a very suspicious man, no doubt of that, but he had plenty of reasons, I can assure you and once he had a student close to him, he loved it like his own."  
The woman looks shocked and asks: "Really? Because Legend and History tells us that – a few years after founding Hogwarts Slytherin got suspicious of Muggleborn kids and believed it better not to teach them. They say that is why he fought Gryffindor, why he build the Chamber of Secrets and why he left Hogwarts."

Merlin seems to get angrier the more the woman speaks and he shouts: "HOGWASH!" Shocking us all and he goes on: "Godric and Salazar were blood-brother bonded when they founded Hogwarts. They would never fight bad enough for it to be history worthy and Salazar would never leave his younger brother behind!"  
"Then – then what happened?" The woman almost begs Merlin and she says: "You have to understand why I ask, I'm Muggleborn myself and my family is in terrible danger. The Heir of Slytherin, who believes this more than anyone is back and he will surely kill my parents if I don't find out. I need this information to protect myself!"

I feel for the woman and Merlin sighs as he says: "And this is exactly why I left. There have always been rumors hurting those I love and there will always be a clash between Light and Darkness. Not even Arthur was able to prevent it, he was even tricked into several terrible actions by that devil Morgana Le Fay."  
The woman lies her hand on his shoulder and says: "Great Merlin, I fully understand your anger towards this misjudgment in time and historical truth, but my family isn't the only one in danger. The Heir of Slytherin has it out for a young boy, whose father was my favorite customer and dearest friend. Please, tell me the truth."  
Merlin nods and says: "Let's get settled in first. Madam, do you think your tavern can go without you for an hour or two?" The woman nods and Even asks: "What's your name anyway? We didn't even ask." The woman looks shocked and says: "It's Rosmerta. Cristina Rosmerta." We nod and she leads us up the last staircase.

Once there, she opens a door to a gigantic circular room with several beds stationed in a circle and the woman quickly casts a few spells, one on a door in the far right wall, where a door to the loo must be stationed and one on the two beds right next to the door on the right, where a large wall grows from the floor up to the ceiling.  
She casts another spell with her wand, causing a door to appear in the middle of the new wall and then conjures several comfortable looking seats to appear in the middle of the room. We all walk in and I see Merlin looking at Rosmerta's wand questioningly, before he says: "Sure didn't see many of those in my days."

And the woman looks shocked as she asks: "Were the people able of Wandless magic back then?" And while Merlin hangs up his large pointy wizards hat, does he say: "Of course they were. It was an elective for Second and Fourth years to take, even, to see if they could do their fifth and seventh year exams wandless."  
Madame Rosmerta looks shocked and says: "I'll be right back. I have to tell my barmaids to stand in for me for tonight. I was planning on closing early anyway, so they know what to do." We all nod and I look at the large beds with hangings rails, curtains and double comforters and say: "Old-fashioned, but quite luxurious."

My friends nod and then the woman returns and quickly casts several spells on the doorknob, putting her wand back in her apron before she sits down and says: "I cast a few long-lasting silencing, privacy and notice-me-not spells." This impresses me and I lean back against the poles of one of the beds as Merlin scrapes his throat.


	6. Salazar's True Tale

_**Chapter 06  
**__**Salazar's true tale**_

_**Merlin's POV**_

I cannot believe what people have grown to believe of my good friend – and last of my pupils – Salazar and vow to clear his good name as I sit down on the comfortable high-backed chairs and say: "Now, you want to know the truth behind Salazar, Godric and their supposed break-up, yes?" And Madame Rosmerta says:  
"Yes, if only to protect that poor Potter boy." Instantly everyone's attention is drawn and Terra calls for his Keyblade, holding it behind him like only he, Aqua and Ventus do and asks: "Potter boy? That Heir of Slytherin is after our supposed mate?" And the woman asks: "All of your mate?" And they all nod as Ienzo says:  
"We believe that, what happened to his ancestor with the eleven lines and heirs, is happening to him now." The woman nods and says: "Yes, that makes sense. And yes, I mean one and the same. You-know – oh, wait you wouldn't know, would you?" And we all shake our heads as the woman steels herself and says:  
"Voldemort. It's not his real name, at least I don't believe it to be, but he names himself that and he caused such pain, death and terror during the seventies that everyone fears him, even when he was supposed to be dead. No one, in the last 15 years, has dared say his name and he disappeared in 1981, on Halloween to be precise."

We all nod and Even asks: "How exactly did he disappear?" And the woman looks down as she says: "It was a terrible thing to happen. The Potters, James, Lily and Harry – that's probably your mate, he's the only one left." This shocks and hurts me and I listen on as she says: "Well, they went down under to hide and –."  
She gasps and says: "Oh, it was just awful. James had this friend, you see, named Sirius Black, and he was as dark as his name. Faked eleven years of friendship and then, when it comes out best for him, he betrays them when they need him most. He was supposed to keep the secret of where the Potters were hiding and he – he didn't."  
This shocks me and she cries as she says: "And – and You-know-who. He – he went for the Potters, he knew where to find them and instantly went to kill them.""He didn't, did he?" Ventus asks, worried beyond anything and Rosmerta nods as she says: "He was able to kill James and Lily too, but – but he – he couldn't kill Harry."

We all look shocked and she says: "It's incredible. There are just no words for it. He was only an infant. Only a year old, one and three months actually. And there he goes, surviving the worst wizard in a hundred years, banishing his body and giving us 14 years of freedom. And all he has left of that attack is a scar."  
She then draws a lightning bolt over her forehead and says: "Right here, like a lightning bolt. It was created because he survived an unsurivable curse and now – now he says that – that you-know-who is back and everyone calls him crazy, but I know. I know he wouldn't lie about that. I mean, why would he? He's such a sweet boy."

This makes many of my friends smile and I say: "Thank you for telling us. We will be sure to keep this Voldemort far away from young Harry." And all my friends nod, making the woman smile, while I can clearly see that Lea has more determination to protect Harry than the others, which I know is because of Axel and Roxas.  
I smile at the redhead Keyblade Wielder and then say: "Now, let's get back to the tale of Salazar, shall I?" The Tavern lady nods and I say: "Well, let's see. Godric and Salazar were blood-brother bonded a year after they founded Hogwarts and it was forty-four years after this that the witch hunts, caused by non-magicians –."  
The woman stops me and says: "We call them Muggles nowadays." This makes me smile and I say: "Very well, caused by Muggles, started targeting witches and wizards of younger and younger age each time. This really worried my friends and thus, to protect them, we used an extended winter holiday to do some brainstorming.

In the end, in 954, Helga came up with a brilliant idea, but it wasn't until the summer after that, that we were able to see it in action. Helga had created a spell that copies an actual child, but then without the magical abilities of said child." This shocks all those around me and I say: "Please understand it was for the safety of the children."  
My friends nod and I say: "So our plan was to find a structure strong enough to serve as a nursery and orphanage and to transport that to the South-eastern wall of Hogwarts, where now that exceedingly large hall is located. We would then find magical infants and toddlers and raise them ourselves, while giving the copies to the parents.  
That way, the Muggle parents would think we would free their household and family of the devil – as they saw witchcraft as work of the devil – and they would happily accept the Muggle child, while we could save the magical infant before its parents would betray it and send it to the burning pile, where so many died before it."

This makes my friends smile at me and I sigh in the same joyous relief as I felt back then before I go on and say: "Now, it might be true that Godric and Salazar had some fights here and there, definitely had a few of them while we planned, but the magic of their blood-brother bond kept them from ever really lashing out at one another.  
So the tale that Salazar left Hogwarts after fighting with Godric is nothing but hogwash and should never be believed. Now my dear, what kind of chamber did you say Salazar created?" And the woman answers: "The Chamber of Secrets. It was said to house the Monster Slytherin wanted to use to cleanse the school."

This shocks me and I ask: "Cleanse the school? Of what?" And the woman answers: "Muggleborns. He was after all seen as the one who started the Pureblood-Muggleborn feud, so it was said that, upon his departure, he had spoken of building a secret chamber in which he housed a monster that would rid the school of those unworthy of magic."  
I can barely believe what I am hearing here and then realize just how history has been twisted and sigh as I say: "Oh dear, this is all one big misunderstanding. You know that gigantic forest around the school, right?" The matron nods and says: "Yes, it's called the Forbidden Forest nowadays." This makes me sigh and I say:

"Yes, that was indeed Salazar's plan. You see, at the end of the school year before he left on his journey to find that structure, Salazar announced to the students that all Purebloods and Magical raised Halfbloods were all to gather a plant from their home and to plant a seed from that in the ground around the school.  
He would then, at the start of the year after that, help the growing plants to develop and to ever spread out until a forest big enough for a Basilisk to hide in would be made. After this the Forest would be out of bounds for everyone but his descendents as only they would be able to speak to the snake, seeing their inherited talent."  
The woman nods and says: "Parsletongue, right? That's the talent Salazar spoke off." I nod and she asks: "But why would he want the Basilisk in the Forest?" And I sigh as I say: "What you have to understand my dear, is that Salazar was absolutely terrified of what Muggles could do once they found out about us.  
He had – no, I swore not to speak of it, so I won't – anyway, he had a personal experience with them so badly, he didn't hate them, but feared they could do the same to his friends – or worse, to the students. Therefore, to make sure Muggles couldn't get near the school, Salazar wanted an enchanted Basilisk housed there."

"Wait, enchanted? Enchanted how?" Madam Rosmerta asks and I say: "Enchanted so that her eyes could never kill. You know that the gaze of a Basilisk is deadly, but that was something Salazar didn't want to risk, especially because Parsletongue wasn't improved well enough to protect a speaker against the gaze.  
So he wanted the Basilisk in the forest, but without the deadly gaze, it was supposed to petrify the Muggles – but only temporarily and long enough for the Basilisk to call either him or his descendents, so that they could erase the memory of Hogwarts from the Muggle's mind and send the Muggle merrily on his way."  
"So – Slytherin never wanted Muggles – or – Muggleborns dead?" Madam Rosmerta asks me tentatively and I say: "Oh heavens, no. We often asked him, of course, but he always answered with the words that his parents wouldn't want him to be a murderer and he didn't want us to become murderers either."

This makes Madam Rosmerta smile appreciatively and she says: "Oh, I can't wait to throw this in you-know-who's face. He will lose just so many followers when his minions hear that he is disgracing the wishes and beliefs of the ancestor he supposedly works in the honor of." And she laughs hard, obviously very relieved.  
I smile at the woman, but then look up and whisper: "Oh Salazar, what happened to you? What caused history to change so drastically?" But no answer comes, not that I expected any and Madam Rosmerta stops laughing as she says: "Well, gentlemen, ladies, I will leave you to your sleep and tomorrow we'll head off for Hogwarts, agreed?"

We all nod and she bids us a goodnight, undoing the notice-me-not spell, but keeping up the privacy and silencing spells and Aqua and Aerith leave for their own room, Aerith crying softly and muttering: "How terrible it all was. How could they twist his peaceful, caring person into such a Muggleborn killing monster?"  
And again I wonder what changed as it must have happened in exactly that summer of 955, when Salazar went to find that structure. Then suddenly I look up and my eyes widen as I see a face I haven't seen in over a century. I rush forward, grab the picture hanging against the opposite wall and look at it.  
Assured that it is just about the same face, except for the short hair and the smaller eyes, do I run back out of the room and ask: "Madam Rosmerta, who is this?" And I aim for a small boy standing between a tall lad with long black hair, a lad with messy black and a pair of elders with black hair, who stand behind the final lad.

The woman looks shocked and I can barely believe what I am hearing as she says: "That's Peter Pettigrew. He used to be friends with James Potter and Sirius Black, but Sirius Black killed him at the age of 21 years old, right after Black betrayed the Potters." But all I catch from that explanation is the first name.

_Peter Pettigrew._


	7. Two Rats, Two Timelines

_**Chapter 07  
**__**Two rats, two timelines**_

_**Even's POV**_

Merlin had seen some kind of moving picture near the bed I had chosen and had almost torn it from the wall, apparently not even noticing how he had undone the magic keeping it stuck to the wall and after looking at it for a few seconds, had the man run back after the matron who had just joined us for a most epic tale-telling.  
I wonder what it was on the picture that caught my friend's attention so and a few minutes later, just when Ienzo and I have taken off our lab coats, do the two walk back and does Madam Rosmerta ask: "Great Merlin, why are you so shocked by this boy's name? He died years ago? What is so important about him?"  
And the man answers: "His name is important, because there was another Peter Pettigrew, back in Arthur's time." The woman looks shocked and Merlin goes on: "He was Arthur's second greatest enemy, right next to his own illegitimate son Mordred and Morgana Le Fay and he was often the cause for many magical deaths."

Merlin shakes his head and says: "I never thought I'd see those sneaky eyes again. This, this man – he has to be a descendent of him. Of that same bastard. It all falls together now.""It – it does?" Madam Rosmerta asks and Merlin nods as he says: "Pettigrew was a Muggleborn wizard who hates his own magic and with that all magic.  
He swore, just before he was supposed to enter Hogwarts, that he would destroy all Hogwarts stood for and that he would rid the world of magic. Arthur was against him, but only had Excalibur and lost almost half his army to him back in 938, so he was forced to count on Salazar and the others to protect his magical people for him.

But Pettigrew was nothing if not cunning and ruthless. He was the first wizard in the history to be capable of causing burst of accidental magic at age 39 and he often used this around witches and wizards who were, after that, unable to defend themselves from the Muggles attracted to them by said accidental magic.  
He also had a terrible hatred for Salazar and I know this is because of what Salazar was trying to accomplish, to protect us magicals from the Muggles, while Pettigrew wanted us all extinct and I have no doubt he did something to cause Salazar to either die, be killed by Muggles or simply give up on our plan."

Merlin then starts to walk around, murmuring under his breath about ways in which Pettigrew must have been capable of doing this and suddenly he stops, just when he passes a window and he runs back, looking through it at Hogwarts and he says: "Wait a minute, Hogwarts is about 20 miles away from this tavern, isn't it?"  
Madam Rosmerta nods and says: "Yes, it is. It used to be a home, before that it was a home for graduated students and before that – well, no one knows." And Merlin says: "Maybe not, but I do know who was the builder of this house. I know the original owner and if I know him as well as I like to think that I do –."

He stops talking and walks over to the midst of the room, rubbing his hand over the wooden planks there and smiles widely as he grabs one of the planks and pulls at it, pulling it loose easily and while holding the plank bent, he says: "Get it, quick." I run over and see a small journal hidden in a transparent cage of magic.  
I look shocked, but then quickly change the magic into ice and pick the whole thing up, just before Merlin lets go of the plank and it easily slides back with the others, while I had expected it to slam back with a loud bang. I then undo the ice and hand the book to Merlin, who smiles widely and says: "Godric's journal, I knew it."

Instantly the mouth of Madam Rosmerta drops and she asks: "Godric? As in Godric Gryffindor? This was his room?" And Merlin says: "Not just his room, this was the house he and Salazar shared once they completed the Blood-brother bond. They lived here and this is also where we came up with the Muggleborn–safety-plan."  
The woman looks shocked and says: "I – I cannot believe it. So the actual history between Salazar and Godric is written in that journal?" And Merlin nods as he says: "Yes, and also the answer as to what Pettigrew did to Salazar to have him gain the reputation he holds today." The woman looks shocked and Merlin opens the book.  
He pages through it and I am amazed at how quickly his eyes scan over the pages, while I can't help but wonder how a book of more than a millennia old can still be in such terrific state and then suddenly Merlin says: "Here, I have it right here. What happened to Salazar. Godric saw it in his mind after – oh Arthur's sword no."

We all look at him inquiringly, while he sags back down in his chair and whispers: "After seventh years brought his crushed body, with not an unbroken bone left in his body, back to Hogwarts." We all look shocked and Madam Rosmerta asks: "Crushed? But – but what crushed him?" And Merlin takes a deep breath as he starts to read.

_**The vision of my friend – my brother – so crushed, with his eyes closed and up to the heaven, as if begging for the gods to spare him, is more than I can bare and, just knowing with my gut feeling that Peter Pettigrew – Sal's greatest rival – is behind this I decide to practice the art Salazar taught me, Rowena and the Seventh years.  
**__**I focus my mind on that of my brother and whisper:"Enter mind." And as I open my closed eyes, I feel myself going through all kinds of passageways, which I know represent the many memories of my brother. Hating that I have to do this, but forcing myself to do it either way, I head for the darker part of his memory.**_

_**There I pass the memory I know Salazar hates with his being and soul and find my brother holding up a gigantic black fortress with large windows and a single door high above his head. I realize I have found the right memory and whisper: "Enter." The magic of me and Salazar easily responding to my request.  
**__**But when I enter the structure is still standing and I am at a hilltop, together with my friend. Salazar has his hands stretched out before him and I know he is evaluating the building like only Salazar can do. Seeming to find it acceptable he grabs his faithful cane and I can tell he has been forced to use it a lot this summer.  
**__**Wishing my brother had accepted for Helga to come with him as she – and only she – can help him relieve the pain of his leg, but Salazar represents one of the custom personality qualities all magicals have inside them; pure stubbornness. I shake my head at this good-naturedly and look on as Salazar leaves for the structure.**_

_**Then my neck-hairs stand up and I look behind me, but see nothing. Gazing over the ends of the other hills surrounding the building I suddenly see Peter Pettigrew hiding behind one of them, leering at Salazar and making me want to attack him were it not for the fact that I am but a ghost in this memory.  
**__**I walk over to where the man is standing and gasp as behind him is a small village of plunderers and farmers, all of them looking tough with great muscles and ripped arms attached to their cloths; men perfect for Pettigrew to use in his plans to kill Wizards without having to do the terrible deed by himself.**_

_**I look from the village to Salazar, who has used cutting hexes on the vines surrounding the structure and who is currently using special digging spells, of which I know need a little bit of wandless magic, to get holes in between the ground he is standing on and the building, to see him repeating this last set of spells over and over again.  
**__**Luckily, does the magic not seem to register to the small instincts of the hunters, but I can tell that the excessive magic required for wandless magic is slowly reaching out to gather inside the crops and other vegetables of the farmers. My lips thin as I just know this will alert the farmers to magic and I wish my friend would stop.**_

_**I look from the farmers, coming out of their small houses to work on their crops, to Pettigrew, who is glaring at the magic Salazar is casting, to my brother and friend, who stops for a short while and leans on his cane even more, worrying me even more as it proves that Salazar has used a lot of magic before coming here.  
**__**Wondering if this tired out state of his will be detrimental to the oncoming state of events, I gulp and wander over, wanting to be closer to my brother when it happens. But just when I have reached the valley, do I feel waves of excessive magic flowing over us and gasp in fear, looking behind me to where Pettigrew is casting.**_

_**Salazar notices the same and shouts: "PETTIGREW! How long have you been following me, you waste of precious magic!" And the rat shouts: "Precious? Only to those who worship the devil magic is precious! I work in name of our lord and future ruler. God, I will cleanse this world of the devil's evil cry!"  
**__**I shake my head, knowing that witches and wizards are never to be raised like Christians as this is just the result and Salazar shouts: "God was 900 years ago! A new millennium is coming! Just accept that already!" But Pettigrew shouts back: "All I have to accept is that the new millennium will birth a new son of God!"**_

_**And I hit myself on the head as Salazar curses in Parsletongue before he shouts: "Pettigrew, you wasting your excessive magic won't allow you to live for another 10 years at max! Stop this nonsense or you'll die, you idiot!" But Pettigrew just laughs and says: "Words of a coward, words of the devil, I say."  
**__**Before he starts casting the excessive magic, but I can tell that the first batch was only to gain Salazar's attention as now the magic no longer flows our way. My eyes widen and I whisper: "The plunderers." And indeed the gigantic men and the farmers with their plows appear, arriving at the hilltop and glaring down at us.**_

_**I see Salazar looking around in shock as three small hills are now filled with the man standing on them and I suddenly see Pettigrew's entire stance and facial features take a new look as he seems to hide behind the rocks again and moans: "That's him, that's the evil one. He was luring me, enchanting me like the devil."  
**__**Rage fills me like no other and Salazar shouts: "You twisted little sneak! I'll get you one day, Pettigrew! You can't delude them forever." But the words: "Watch me." Are mouthed by the man before he whispers to the farmers: "Help?" Looking like a weak little child, instead of a forty-two year old man.**_

_**I shake my head and Salazar shouts: "You underestimate me yet again, Pettigrew! The plan won't fail, I won't allow it!" And with both hands he plunges his cane into the ground and casts a spell that makes the structure tremble and slowly float out of the ground. Salazar raises his arms and swirls his hands, keeping up the enchantment.  
**__**The farmers and plunderers are shocked to death and I silently hope they will remain that way, even while I know that I am currently residing in a dead man's memory, but then Salazar starts to struggle and looks at Pettigrew, who I see leaning against the rocks and twisting his wand a little, moving the structure with it.  
**__**I look at the structure and to my shock, while Salazar tries to let it float high enough to – as we have learned to call it – apparate it to Hogwarts, is Pettigrew pushing the structure to the side, over to where Salazar is standing. Salazar moves to another side of the building and this seems to give him a better aim.**_

_**He breaks Pettigrew's magic and pushes the building higher up, but the speed with which he does this seems to break the men from their shock and the plunderers shout as they run at my friend, who is forced to only use his free hand, while he uses his cane to keep a shield of vines and leaves up around him.  
**__**The plunderers cut through the green and I see Salazar struggling on the levitation as he re-grows the plants and conjures new ones, but the ring protecting him becomes smaller and I see the farmers leaving, which relieves me as it means their plows won't cut into my friend. But then I see the structure tremble again.  
**__**I look back at Pettigrew and see him now holding his wand like a real wizard, pushing his magic through it and overcoming that of Salazar only slightly, still allowing Salazar to raise the structure higher, but also pushing it to where my friend is standing – and this time Salazar will be unable to move to another side.**_

_**This worries me as I know it means this is where Salazar dies and I shout: "Pettigrew, you rotten piece of horseflesh! Who's the real wizard now? You're casting as well as us, so you're one of us! Accept it!" But then remember that I am but a memory and I hear Salazar groan as one of the plunderers strikes him.  
**__**I close my eyes and know that, while the strike might not be fatal, the hurt will cause him to lose focus and that focus will be the death of him. I turn my back to my friend as I feel the wind blowing up and then the ground below me trembles terribly as the structure lands right onto my dearest friend – and only brother.**_

Merlin stops there and closes the book, tears in his eyes as he must be feeling the loss of his friend becoming final at last. Ienzo and Lea walk over and both lie a hand on his shoulder in support, while Terra seems to have real trouble holding back his anger. Madam Rosmerta is also in tears and whispers: "That – that poor man."  
Merlin nods and says: "The fact that his attempt to get a good house failed must have been seen by the other Founders as a sign they should not continue the plan and that must have twisted into the rumor that Salazar left because he couldn't face his school being filled with Muggleborns, which in return led to his infamous hate for Muggles."

The woman nods and Merlin sighs before he stands up and says: "My friends and I will go rest now, will you please put this in your rooms and keep it there until my group leaves for Hogwarts tomorrow. I feel I cannot rest with the knowledge of this story so close to me." The woman nods and leaves, hugging Merlin before she does so.  
Merlin smiles slightly and whispers: "Let's just hope I can change the way people look at true history and history based on rumors spread over the last few centuries. The way Salazar died, he doesn't deserve his name being dragged through the mud like this." We all nod and leave for bed, me wondering what else we will discover here.


	8. The Many Mates Arrive

_**Chapter 08**_

_**The many mates arrive**_

_**Harry's POV**_

The next morning I walk down from my bed and wonder how Sirius will react when he hears what I've been through this time, but when I enter the common room, is my arm grabbed and am I pulled onto a small chair next to a square-framed table, where Fred, George and Lee are sitting on the other three sides.  
I look from one to the other, all of them looking at me worriedly and then feel something wet lying on my pants. Looking down, my eyes widen at the sight of a large black dog with wild fur and I whisper at the twins: "Are you two mad?" But the twins whisper: "We were at his place when we received the letter, we had no choice."

I nod and absent-mindedly start to pet Sirius' fur, while I whisper: "Dobby, move Umbridge to her office and lock her there, I don't want her anywhere near the students, not after last night." And I can almost hear the elf whispering through the wind: "Yes, my liege." Making me shake my head before smiling slightly.  
Then George says: "Well, Harry, we heard of your vision." And Fred goes on: "And of your near-death experience." And Lee ends: "So tell us." Before they all chorus: "What happened." And George whispers: "And don't worry, we already placed notice me not spells on the table and chairs before you came down."

I nod and say: "First of all, it was in no way a near-death experience." This makes the three boys look at me with a raised eyebrow and I say: "Fine." Before I tell them everything. About the dream, how I convinced Ron and the others of it, how we wanted to check at Grimmauld if Sirius was there and how we were caught.  
I then go into detail about Umbridge and how she looked as I tell them about our time in her office, how Hermione led her to Gwarp and the Centaurs and again go into detail on how she looked when she begged me for help how she looked after I gave her away to the Centaurs, using her own words against her.

I then explain about Luna and what she told me, about the sword and the ancient heritage of my mum, before telling them of our Thestrall flight to the Ministry, our journey to the Hall of Prophesies and Luna made my friends, the Death Eaters and me know that the Prophesy was a fake before I told the Death Eaters of my heritage.  
Then I finally end: "And then the Death Eaters brought us back to Hogwarts, I went to see Professor Snape, discovered about my other Ancient Heritages and that my mother married me off to Daphne Greengrass and finally I send Ancient Potter Mate Circlets to 7 different people to bond them to my many lines.  
I escorted Daphne to the Slytherin common room, came here, talked with Lee and went to bed. And that is the whole story. So other than Umbridge trying to end my line like she's apparently been trying since the Prophesy, nothing dangerous happened as Luna and I had everything under control the whole time, alright?"

I sigh and stop, while the twins look at me shocked and one of them says: "And that whole story." And the other goes on: "Was told to us." And they chorus: "As if we're discussing yesterday's weather." Making me hit myself on the head, before I stand up and say: "If you'll excuse me, I want to know if my mates arrived yet."  
And I leave the three men behind, walking out of the portrait hole and down the staircase, pretty soon followed by Ron, who asks: "The twins wanted to know what happened?" And I nod before he asks: "You do know Snuffel is following us, right?" And I stop instantly, turning around on my axe and seeing the dog walking over.

Again I want to hit myself on the head, but then I take a deep breath and whisper: "At least Umbridge is locked up in her office. She can't do a thing right now. That's at least something." Ron nods in agreement and with Hermione and Neville joining us, Neville looking at the dog weirdly, do we walk further down the staircases.  
"So Harry, are you going to pick up Daphne before you head for breakfast?" Neville asks and I smile as I say: "Yes I will, and I really hope my mates will be at breakfast too." The boy smiles at me and Ron says: "I still don't understand why 8 circlets were made, when you only have 5 lines to hold up." But I shrug, not knowing either.

_**Daphne's POV**_

Waking up to the shocked eyes of my best friend Tracy Davis, who seems to stare at my forehead is a good way to remember that I am now bonded to marry my fiancé, Harry Potter, the future king of England. Still it's quite annoying and I ask: "Did you really think he would never want to marry me, or something?"  
And the girl retaliates as she realizes that I'm awake before she says: "It's just amazing that you wear it now, when everyone knows that Potter went on another dangerous adventure last night. You know, after that whole thing with the vision he supposedly had?" I nod and get out of my bed, getting ready and as I do, I say:  
"I know, he visited Professor Snape afterwards. Did a Heritage Potion on recommendations of Malfoy senior. It was followed by me getting this and several others shooting up into the Night sky. I imagine they went to worlds outside this Universe or something." The girl nods and we leave our dorm and after that the common room.

Only, when we have passed the wall hiding our common room, do I get a pleasant surprise, as Harry is leaning against the opposite wall, smiling as he sees me and walking over, bowing like he did last night and kissing my hand as he says: "Good morning, Lady Greengrass, Lady Davis." He greets Tracy with a nod.  
My friend is shocked silent at Harry's royal behavior and I personally can't be happier at how well Harry adepts to being our future king. He then stands next to me and asks: "Care for a shared breakfast?" Making me laugh as it's an informal invitation of a young lord asking his fiancé and or partner, still quite traditional sounding.  
I nod and happily lie my hand on the inside of his elbow, Harry lifting it a little in invitation and we happily leave the dungeons, Malfoy the only one not almost catching flies by their mouths falling open when I pass them and I whisper: "I'm not sure I want to know how the other Houses will respond." But Harry shrugs and says:

"No matter what they do, I'm a Lord of five families now and anyone touching you will get my Ancient Lines on their neck. And – I have back-up." And he sends a smile over his shoulder, causing me to look behind me and making me see a large bear-sized black-furred dog following us only a few paces away.  
Realizing that Sirius Black will step in if anyone harms us, I whisper: "Is it even safe to have him here?" And Harry whispers: "It is as long as Umbridge stays locked in her office like I told Dobby to do." Making me giggle before we enter the hall. Here Harry looks from Slytherin to Gryffindor table and then at me.

I smile as I realize he wonders where to walk with me and that he wants me to make the choice and decide to give him some leeway as I know I will be better accepted by his friends than he will be by mine and so I softly motion him for the red and gold table, Harry smiling and escorting me to where Granger and Weasley are seated.  
Longbottom is opposite them and Harry sits opposite Weasley as I sit beside him. The dog then climbs over the seat and lies his head on Harry's lap as Harry lies some meat on his plate, together with some food he quickly starts preparing for himself. We then start eating, but while we do, do I suddenly notice 2 strange things.  
One is that Harry is secretly feeding the dog the meat and beef he takes from the table and has grabbed an extra goblet, which he fills with water and uses to give Black some water and the other is that he seems distracted, looking around the table and over to the doors to the Great Hall almost every other bite of his meal or so.

_**Lea's POV**_

The next morning, after hearing that horrendous tale from that diary of that poor, poor man named Salazar, I wake up early, feeling the need to get to Hogwarts and meet the one who gave me the circlet still around my forehead. I wake up and see that, while it's still early, I'm not the only one early woken by the need.  
All my other mates are also awake and only Merlin is still asleep, even if the pain written clearly across his face breaks my heart and makes me know he either didn't get enough sleep or had a good night sleep. Still, by the sound of moving and rustling, coming from the female part of the room, I can tell he is the only one still asleep.

Hating myself, but knowing he would want to meet Harry as much as we do, I softly wake Merlin and we all get dressed. We then softly go to wake Madam Rosmerta, but she seems to already be awake and working down in her tavern. When she sees us entering the place, she quickly runs over to one of her fellow workers.  
I hear her saying the younger woman has control over the tavern while she goes upstairs to fetch something and smile at the devotion the woman seems to feel for us. Ten minutes later we are walking up the path to the amazing castle, Merlin keeping Godric's diary close to his heart and his bright eyes dawned with pain and grief.

I sigh as I look at him and whisper to Ventus: "I really hope meeting Harry will cheer Merlin up a bit." Ventus nods and Terra says: "I personally can't wait until we can tell that You-know-who guy that he's befouling his ancestors name. Will be nice payback for him killing our mate's parents." And I have to agree with the man.  
We then enter the grounds, passing a pair of gates with statues on both sides of the gates and crossing a large set of grounds to an open field surrounded by gigantic stones set in a large circle. Seeing these stones set here seems to bring a fond smile to Merlin's face and Aqua asks: "Does this look familiar to you, Merlin?"  
The man nods and says: "This is where Hogwarts started. The plan of making a school here, started with courses Arthur allowed Godric and the others to hold here and when Arthur moved away he allowed those four to change the castle and make it what you see here today. But it started all with this Stone Circle."

This makes us smile, glad that Merlin still has something of this castle to remind him of the better times and we enter a large, bridge made of wood with open windows and a torch hanging from the wall in-between every few windows. Walking through it, over a gigantic rock and cliff-filled ravine, we enter a large courtyard.  
In front of us is a gigantic wall, with a huge clock at the top floor and in the middle of the courtyard there is a square-structured fountain with a statue in every corner, the statue representing a raven holding a serpent in his beak. Merlin seems shocked at this and asks: "When on earth was that added to this courtyard?"  
"Why? What does it mean, Merlin?" Aerith asks and Merlin says: "The Raven stands for one of the four Houses, Rowena's and the snake stands for Salazar's House, Slytherin. I just don't understand why they would build a statue representing the two of them fighting as Rowena was Salazar's mistress and – some believed – 2nd wife."

This shocks us and Even says: "It seems not only the history between Gryffindor and Slytherin has been twisted." Making Merlin sigh before he says: "I really have my work cut out for me." Before he leads us into the tower and over to a portrait of a fat woman dressed in a black dress and sitting in a grapevine filled garden.  
Merlin smiles at the woman and says: "Ah how wonderful, you're still here, fair, fair Elisabeth." The woman seems shocked, while I can barely believe that the portrait is actually moving and she says: "Only one person can still know my name after all these centuries. Merlin, is that you? Have you really returned?"  
Merlin nods and while starting to cry does the portrait move and I see a long, but small hallway appear behind her portrait frame. Merlin smiles and says: "Helga made this and a few other secret passageways when we got our fourth rank of First years arriving at Hogwarts. It was to help them get around easier."

He then leads us through the hallway, patting the portrait on her painted shoulder as she cries and when we pass through the other side, I look around at the highest, biggest room with more staircase around than I can count. "And I thought Where nothing Gathers was a big room." Ienzo whispers and I agree with him.  
Merlin smiles and says: "The Grand Staircase. My own creation to Hogwarts. How wonderful to know this is still here too. Ah, now I recognize that exceedingly large hall I mentioned yesterday, it must be the Great Hall. Godric founded it there to stay there until they had found their nursery/orphanage for the younger years."

To this, not wanting the man to think back on the tale of last night, I say: "Then lets head there. It's probably where Harry is, right?" Merlin nods and we take three sets of staircases, structured in half a square for each floor, down to a small staircase on the right, which leads to a large hall, while there is another set of stairs on our left.  
We turn right and into the hallway, which has a large golden statue in front of us, stationed in front of a large stained-glass window, with a large set of wooden doors on our left leading to another stone courtyard and another set of wooden doors on our right leading to a large stone hall with high stained glass windows and bustling with noise.

We turn to the hall and look around, while we all know that there is no way we can recognize our mate even if we see him. Instead I decide to gather some intell on the situation at hand and see students sitting at four tables, all wearing black cloaks, yet each table seems to have their own color added to the trim.  
The table on the far left has a green trim and I see a serpent embroidered on the chest of a young man sitting there. The table next to it has a blue trim attached to the cloaks and a raven embroidered on the chest, red on the cloaks sitting at the table next to it, a lion on the chest and yellow trims on the far right, with a badger on the chest.  
Then suddenly I notice a green trim sitting in between the red at the third table and looking closer, I see that the cloak is worn by a girl – who wears the same circlet as we all do. I look shocked and look at her friends. Opposite of her is a brown haired girl, next to the brunette is a red-head and next to the circlet wearing girl is …


	9. Harry And Lea Meet

_**Chapter 09  
**__**Harry and Lea meet**_

My mouth drops as I see the boy sitting next to the girl and I feel myself incapable of looking away from him. Ebony black hair swept around messily on top of a small face with high cheekbones and eyes greener than the brightest emerald I have ever seen. A smile like gold graces tender lips and a small neck rests on strong shoulders.  
I look back at the green eyes, feeling myself swept away by the amazing emotions swirling through them and upon closer inspection, I see conflicting emotions battling inside the green depths, some emotions shown bright and open for the world to see, others seemingly attempting to keep themselves from being noticed.  
Then suddenly, as the amazing young lad takes a bite from a sandwich, do his green eyes move to the doors where I am standing and his eyes widen when he sees us, but then – to my great pleasure – his eyes land and get stuck on me and I can tell he is checking me out like I did him while he had been eating earlier.

_**Harry's POV**_

I had been waiting all breakfast for my mates to come and, nearing the end, I had decided to just wait for them to find me instead of looking out for them. I had instead given Daphne the attention she deserves as my future wife and had explained her the weird feeling in my stomach as I thought of her as my queen.  
Daphne had been a real angel and had agreed with me that a Gryffindor for a king and a Slytherin for a Queen was the worst combo we could give the world and we had agreed she would be my Lady Peverell instead of Pendragon. Still I wonder if one of the other bonds will grant me another wife as a queen, but I pay it no heed.

We simply talk, laugh and ignore the many shocked looks Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff table keep sending at us as they try, every now and then, to sneakily look at us, while Slytherin seems passive in the whole thing, which makes me wonder who of Snape, Malfoy and Daphne told the House of what happened last night.  
But then, when we are only one more bit of desert away from breakfast ending, do I suddenly sense a heated glance going over my form and I look at Daphne, but she is in heavy argument with Hermione about the difficulty of the Ancient Runes O.W.L and so I look on around the hall – until my eye fall on a group standing in the hall's entrance.

The glance is coming from the redhead at the left front of the group and I can barely believe how amazing he looks. Wild red hair standing up and to the back in spikes, a warm tan, big green eyes with narrow up-turned slits at the outside and down-turned slits at the inside and green eyes that make me think of the fields outside.  
Our eyes lock in contact and I can barely believe how warm and comfortable I feel while looking at him, as if his eyes somehow transport me over to him, as if his gaze is the embrace he pulls me in, his arms warm and strong around my shoulders and my head lying comfortably on his hard, strong, muscular shoulder.

I barely feel myself standing up and yet my body screams at me to stand up quicker, to get to him, to accept him as mine and I don't even feel the need to look at the others, or feel the students look at me. All I feel, all I can see, is those amazing green eyes and the way they almost magically pull me closer, closer to their owner.  
I walk closer and closer and all the while the man keeps looking at me, all the while I can only focus on his eyes, green like grass and still not like grass as grass can't shine like the eyes do, and the smile on his face, gentle, loving and pure happiness, as if me walking towards him is the best thing that ever happened to him.

Happiness swells up inside me as I see this smile and I feel a new need well up inside me, a need to keep that smile there, to keep it present and on that beautiful face for the rest of eternity. Then I am standing right in front of him and he speaks, talking with a warm, deep voice and says: "I'm Lea." To which I say:  
"I'm – I'm –." And instantly I feel like Neville did when we met Luna on the train at the start of this year as I say: "I'm Nobody." This makes the man laugh and he says: "Trust me, I've seen a Nobody and you're not. Your heart is too light to be one." This makes me blush bright red and he asks: "So, are you Harry?"

And I ask: "How – how do you –." But then I feel the presence of my scar pressing in on my skin and I sigh: "Let me guess, you recognized my scar?" But instantly the warm voice turns worried and asks: "What scar?" And my heart soars in shock and pure happiness as this is the first time since I came into the Wizarding world that someone asked that.  
I slowly raise my fringe, unlike usually when I try to flatten it over my forehead and show the man my lightning bolt scar. The man sighs and says: "Oh, that one." I look up and see his lips tighten. He then turns and finally I take notice of the others, all but one of them wearing the same circlet as the one I gave Daphne last night.

_**Lea's POV**_

"Aerith, think you can do something about that?" And the woman walks over, bowing down a little and with a single finger softly tracing the shape of the scar, the scar I was told my mate got by a madman wanting to kill him when he was just an infant, a madman who also took my little mate his parents no less.  
I have to work really hard not to show the anger I feel in my heart on my face as I remind myself of this fact and instead watch as Aerith snaps her fingers and lets several healing herbs appear in her hand. She then lies them on the scar and steps away, her magic keeping the herbs at their place and snaps her fingers again.

"Curaga." She says loudly and I see light shining from the herbs, which I know are not the same herbs as that appear when my friends or I cast the Curaga spell. Glad to have this woman as one of my mate's partners, I suddenly see Darkness swirling around the light of the herbs and I look shocked as Aerith gasps.  
"That is not his." I whisper and Aerith shakes her head as she says: "That darkness, it's – it's like Ansem when he was controlling Riku." This makes me look at the woman shocked and in fear, I ask: "What? Aerith! Do something! Don't let that thing control Harry!" Which causes Harry to shout: "CONTROL ME?"

I look from the woman, who aims her hands at the herbs and seems to focus her powers into them, to my mate and jump back, summoning my Keyblade and aiming it at the darkness now surrounding the light and seeming to battle it in order to weaken the light and absorb its power. Not wanting that demon to strengthen anymore, I shout:

"LIGHT!"

And a beam of pure light shoots from my Keyblade and hits Harry straight in the scar. Everyone shouts and several people who had been sitting with my mate now run over, but Terra, Aqua and Ventus quickly go stand in their way, causing them to shout at them and causing the two boys to draw their wands.  
Even quickly stands in between Terra and the kids and summons his Ice-shield and holds it up, ready to defend the three against the spellwork of the boys. I personally lower my Keyblade and run back over to my mate, softly lifting up his head and happy to see the clouds of darkness slowly loosen and float off of my mate's head.

_**Harry's POV**_

I don't know what Lea did, but I do know that the pain I have felt almost the entire year now is finally gone. When Aerith used those strange powerful herbs that she was able to attach to my forehead without a sticking spell or floating charm, the power of them had already started to tingle and fight against the pain in my scar.  
But then the woman had snapped her fingers and had whispered that weird, weird word – Curaga – and while my mind rationally makes me believe it's a special form of Curing Magic, had the light of it battled against the darkness in my scar, a battle that had made my scar explode with a pain unlike any I have ever felt.  
I had braced my feet on the ground and had fisted my hands as much as I could just to remain standing, but the pain wasn't just keeping to my scar. The healing magic of the herbs seem to have been reaching to all of my old wounds and the darkness in my scar not only reminded me of how they had hurt, it had intensified the pain.

This pain had caused my knees to buckle and then suddenly, through the haze of pain, I had heard the words _Ansem when he was controlling Riku_ and had heard Lea say: "Do something! Don't let that thing control Harry!" And this had scared me, especially because of my current location and I had shouted: "CONTROL ME?"  
Lea and I had locked eye-contact yet again and I had seen in his eyes that he knew of a way to cure me, to help the herbs heal me. I had given him a shaky nod, the only thing I could do while not giving into the pain and this had made Lea jump back just a bit and summon an amazing blade-like weapon out of thin air.

I had seen his eyes hesitate, but had, for only a second, given in to the pain just to show Lea he had to hurry. Lea had seen the action and it seemed to have had fueled his anger as he shouted: "LIGHT!" And exactly that shot out of the end of his blade. Tilting my head, I made sure the light hit my scar straight on.  
Instantly the pain alleviated and the light of Aerith's herbs seemed to spread through my body healing old and forgotten wounds and even wounds I never knew about. I fall down on the hard floor, but don't even feel it. Instead I feel the pain in my scar lessening more and more with the second and tears of relief escape my eyelids.

_**Lea's POV**_

Tears are running down my mate's cheeks and I warm my fingers, using my control over fire, while softly rubbing the tears away. Tired emerald green eyes open and a soft voice whispers: "Thank you." I nod and then suddenly a large black dog passes through the three Keyblade-wielder defence, slipping past them and Even.  
The creature stops to sit down next to Harry and seems to look at Harry worriedly, but Harry raises his hand tiredly and softly pats the animal's head, while I can barely believe dogs can grow this big here as this thing has to be bear-sized at the least. Harry then whispers: "I'm okay, Snuffel. Aerith and Lea healed me. I'm fine."

The dog nods and licks Harry's lovingly, making wonder how long the two have known each other. Harry then tilts his head, so that – upside down – he is looking at the three wielders and says: "You can let them through now." And the three look at him, shocked at how he's looking back at them and then letting the kids through.  
The boys quickly put their wands back in their pockets and a young blonde haired girl of Harry's age takes the dog's place as she asks: "Are you okay, Harry?" And my little flame smiles as he says: "I am now, Daphne, thanks to Aerith and Lea." The girl nods and then suddenly I sense a power as strong as Merlin coming closer.  
Looking up, I see someone almost just as old as the ancient wizard walking over from the other courtyard and when he enters the hallway, he shortly looks at us shocked before just about the entire Great Hall shouts: "PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE!" Followed by cheers and tumultuous applause rising from just about every seat.


	10. Harry's First Royal Act

_**Chapter 10  
**__**Harry's First Royal Act**_

_**Dumbledore's POV**_

Tom and I had waited all night last night for either Death eaters or Order members to bring us news, but it was only early morning when Severus finally reported to both of us that Harry had, apparently, returned to Hogwarts only half an hour after arriving at the Ministry, by help of the Death Eaters set out to trap them no less.  
Tom had not been pleased with this, but it had been at that minute that Lucius had come to us and had told us news that even still makes me feel shocked to the core. The prophesy we have been guarding all year, the prophesy Voldemort wanted all year and the same prophesy that had made the man go after the Potters – was a fake.  
Only the sentence _he will mark him as his equal _was true and the rest was just information gathered by an outside source and forced into some fake gibberish. Tom had been furious and Lucius had told him he had punished Harry in a way that makes me wonder if it can even be called Punishment – he had forced Harry to investigate his family heritage.

This was where Snape had come in as he had been the one Harry had been forced to go to – something that made me think the punishment still had some merit – and Snape had brought us news I had never expected. Lily had been the actual last Female Heir to Arthur Pendragon and Harry, as her son, was to be the new king of Magical England.  
Severus had told us both that he had found this out together with finding out that Harry also had rights to the Potter, Gryffindor, Peverell and Ravenclaw fortune and even Lucius had been shocked by this. Then Tom had come with a proposal I still cannot believe he made – the very reason I have now come back to Hogwarts.

But the reason and the proposal are rushed from my mind as I see Harry lying in the red-haired man's arms with Mss. Greengrass sitting next to him and Snuffel sitting at his shoulder, licking his neck and cheek worriedly. Wondering what could have happened, I am pleasantly surprised by the welcome I receive from my students.  
Tumultuous applause the likes of which I haven't heard since Gryffindor had won the House Cup for the first time in 7 years rings through the school and almost makes the ground under my feet tremble. I smile and laugh, but then raise my arms and instantly the students turn silent, sitting down and looking at me with deep respect.  
Glad to know I have yet to have lost their respect after my abrupt departure, I walk further and ask: "Harry dear boy, what happened?" And the boy answers weakly: "Lea and Aerith healed me of the Darkness in my scar, Professor. They used their special magic to heal my scar together with all of my other wounds."

I look shocked as I had not expected for there to be anyway to heal Harry's scar – seeing what it actually contained – but am still very pleased and relieved and ask: "And why did they do that, Harry? How are they even here?" And the man holding Harry says: "We were called here by his Potter Curse, all of us, to be precise."  
And I look at his fellow companions, the blonde with white jacket, the brown haired man with great muscles hidden by a brown vest, the blue haired woman with blue colored uniform, the brown-haired woman with her hair in a ponytail, the boy who's blue hair covers his right eye and the blonde with his long fringe hair framing his face.  
All of them wear a golden and silver metal headband around their heads and all of the circlets have special gems embroidered onto the metal plates, which are attached to each other in horizontal beams. I recognize the bonds as Potter Mate Circlets and ask: "Harry, how on earth did the Potter curse chose so many mates for you?"  
And the boy answers: "I discovered my heritage, sir. I have five lines to hold up, but that doesn't really explain to me why the Curse therefore saw it fit to chose 8 people as my mates." I shake my head, agreeing with his conclusion and say: "Yes, Severus indeed told me you had been punished by letting him help you find out about your heritage. Which Houses exactly do you represent, if I may ask dear boy?"

And – while Severus had already told me this – does the boy still shock me deeply as he, seemingly regaining his former strength, says: "I am the Heir and Lord of the Potter, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Peverell and Pendragon line, Professor Dumbledore, and through Excalibur the new King-to-be of Magical England."  
Everyone seems shocked as they hear this and Zacharias Smith shouts: "You're nuts, you know that? No way are you our king!" But then suddenly Harry has his left side to me and his right to the hall as an amazing sword is in his hand and aimed at the boy, while Harry angrily whispers: "Dare to say that again, Smith?"

The Hufflepuff whitens and then Cho Chang giggles and says: "Oh Harry, I knew you'd be great." But while Harry's attention is drawn to her, do I not see the same growing love shining in his eyes as I had been able to see for the last three years and I wonder how strong the Potter curse has been able to affect the child.  
The girl looks shocked as she realizes the same and asks: "Harry?" But Harry keeps a passive face and says: "Cho, you forced your friend into the DA. You knew she didn't like me and still forced her. You made your friend break as much as Umbridge did because you kept forcing her to come. In my eyes, you're as guilty as she is."  
The girl looks shocked and shouts: "You can't still be angry over that!" But then Harry thins his lips and says: "I can, Cho. Because if there is one thing that ruined my life, it's betrayal. Also, you forcing your friend to come and causing her to break, allowed Umbridge all she has done to hurt us all. So yes, Cho, I can still be mad at you."

The girl looks shocked and then Harry sighs and says: "And now to prove I can be a good king." And with that he walks forward, pushing his sword back into a holster on his back that disappears once the sword is in and after glancing at me questioningly, to which I nod encouragingly, does the boy take a stand behind the Owl Stand.  
He looks at us all and says: "I would like for Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy and Collin Creevey to stand up, Draco and Zabini with robes, Hermione and Collin without." The four mentioned people look at each other confused, but then all shrug and do as asked, standing up before Harry says:

"Hogwarts please listen to me and look at these four people. They are the most popular Purebloods and Muggleborns of Gryffindor and Slytherin, but that is not why I asked them to stand up. I asked them to stand up, because I want to use issues they have to bring forth my first plan as your new King of Magical England."  
Everyone looks intrigued and Harry says: "When you look at Hermione, you see your classic, yet exceedingly intelligent Muggleborn. When you look at Collin, you see almost the same. When you look at Draco, you see the classic, yet slightly arrogant Pureblood. When you like at Zabini, his case is like Collin's.

The standard Muggleborn is intelligent and can adapt to the Magical world because she acquires a wand and wants to, but her upbringing, like with a Pureblood, will always come sticking its head around the corner. This is not an offense, I am Muggle raised myself, I know what I'm talking about. This is not an offence."  
Hermione and Collin nod and Harry says: "The Standard Pureblood is magically more powerful than the Muggleborn because they are surrounded by magic their entire youth. This magic often comes together with ancient heritage lessons and those, like the Muggle upbringing, will play a role in the Pureblood's life forever."

The students now all look at the boy intriguingly and I personally wonder where he is going with this as he says: "This upbringing brings a stubbornness forth in both Purebloods as well as Muggleborns as their loyalty will remain with how they are raised for the rest of their lives. And _that_ is where these two factors clash all the time."  
I look shocked and students start to mutter, but Harry raises his voice and says: "Muggleborns live in a time where the biggest insults are thrown at Black-people. Hating someone for their blood is something they grew over and thought barbaric after the massacres of the Jews in the Second World war of the forties.  
Purebloods live in a time where things change very quickly, mostly because of the magic around them changing it for them if needed. This makes them want to hold onto all they are taught and makes them get just that little bit more determination to keep the Ancient Traditions, Customs and Laws in place and to fight for them.

If you look at it from this point, you see a big problem. Let me explain it. Hermione, your House Elf thing. You saw two House Elves being treated badly. You did not see why the owners treated them badly, you did not see any other House Elves treat them badly, you just based what you knew on those two House Elves.  
Now, when Muggleborns see such a thing, their mind instantly goes back to what they were taught as Muggles and slaves – as Hermione calls it – were banned in 1948, so when a Muggleborn sees a House Elf do something on orders of someone else without being paid for it, he or she instantly sees it as illegal slavery.

You follow me so far?" Harry asks and the students nod, while half the Ravenclaws have now grabbed their notebooks and are writing Harry's words down. Amazed at how well Harry does as a teacher, I know this skill will help him as a king. I smile at the young lad, finally turning into a fine young man and listen as he says:  
"The Muggleborns see what they think is slavery and get stuck on that thought, because of how they were raised they believe it wrong and believe it up to them to change it. But in their need to change that, they forget one thing." Harry then turns to Hermione and says: "How a Pureblood would react to such a sudden change."

Hermione looks shocked and Harry says: "And that is exactly what has been going wrong for all these years. Muggleborns see something they think wrong, the Purebloods don't see it because they have been used to it for years and because of that, they don't explain to the Muggleborns why it is the way it is and the Muggleborns try to change it."  
Harry then looks from Hermione to Draco and says: "You are both at wrong in this case. Draco, you hate Muggleborns because they bring changes without taking your opinions into regards, but in your need to protect what you think they try to change, you yourself have grown a disrespect in regard to their opinions and their lives.  
Hermione, you tried reading about House Elves in the Hogwarts Library, but you're forgetting one thing. The one place most touched by Muggleborn influences is that exact library. It barely has any Pureblood books left and therefore cannot give you the information you need. What you should have done was ask a Pureblood about it."

He then turns to Malfoy and says: "And that is exactly what I am doing now. Malfoy, why does the Magical World use House Elves the way they do?" The blonde looks shocked and says: "Because they protect us." Shocking Harry quite a bit and making Hermione shake her head before she asks: "Because they what?"  
And Draco says: "When a wizard casts magic at a Pureblood Mansion or at Hogwarts or at the Ministry, they use more magic than necessary because they have to force their magic out a bit, while the wards of Hogwarts try to keep the magic inside. This extra magic is called excessive magic and is very dangerous.  
The wards around Hogwarts and other Ancient Magical Places are also made of this same magic and fueled by it, but they can't do that all the time, so some excessive magic always remains behind, floating around and causing fluxes to affect our magical cores. And this is where the House Elves come in."

Hermione looks shocked and Draco says: "The House Elves have a special magic of their own, magic that allows them to take in the excessive magic without dying from it. Instead they do their chores magically and that turns the excessive magic into active magic inside their bodies; magic they then give back to us."  
"Wait, back to us?" Hermione asks and Draco nods, while I can tell that, instinctively, the boy has trouble holding back a sneer and he says: "The magic the House Elves receive is only theirs temporarily. It fuels them into the chores and once those are done, they return the magic to us for us to use once more.  
That's why House Elves should never be freed. If they are, their mental capacities will be heavily damaged and they need those to realize that studious magic goes to those loving Charms and History of magic and that proactive magic goes to those loving Care of Magical Creatures and DADA and so on and so forth."

Everyone looks at this shocked, the Purebloods obviously having forgotten about this and the Muggleborns as they must have never known this and then Hermione stutters and says: "But what about Dobby? And – and Winky? She had to stay somewhere really high while being afraid of heights and he was hurt constantly."  
Draco sighs and says: "What you have to understand, Granger, is that some Purebloods are right-out bastards, even I am willing to admit that. My aunt was one of those and – well – she bought 2 House Elves, gave them different disgusting orders, and then sold them further. And unfortunately you met both of them."  
The girl looks shocked and he says: "My aunt ordered Winky to keep shut about Barty Crouch, while the Elf already knew of his evil schemes and to keep him in the best possible health and she ordered Dobby to constantly punish himself whether he did a good or a bad job. The better or worse he did, the harder the punishment."

"Your aunt is sick, dude." Ernie comments and Draco laughs and asks: "Why do you think the crazy bitch was in Azkaban?" And I can tell that Harry realizes who Draco means as he sends a quick, almost invisible glance at Neville, who doesn't seem as quick on the uptake as Harry, something that relieves us both.  
Harry then scrapes his throat and says: "Anyway, back to the problem at hand. I do now agree that House Elves should stay bound to Hogwarts, never really believed different, but that's another story. But I also agree that they at least deserve a room of their own and some time for food and rest, like Hermione wants.  
So instead of wanting them free or wanting things to stay the way they are – as that will tick off more Muggleborns like Hermione in the long run – how about we search the castle near the kitchens, find a large room and shrink everything there to House Elf size. That way the House Elves have something of themselves and still work for us."

Everyone looks at Harry shocked and then Draco says: "There did used to be House Elf quarters, but someone of the Mordred line locked those off ancient centuries ago. We haven't been able to find them ever since and we Malfoys always become part of the board of Governors in hopes of finding them after graduation."  
Harry nods and then he says: "I think I know of a way we can find them." Making both sides still standing smile at the lad. Lea then starts to clap and I agree as Harry's speech and the way he handled the issue really proves how much of a leader figure and a king Harry can be and follow the redhead's example, starting to applaud myself.  
My colleagues quickly follow, even Severus showing off a small smile as he claps politely and I smile as I know that if Harry can stop the problems between Muggleborns and Purebloods, he can fix the mend between Gryffindor and Slytherin, something which will be very profitable for the boy who was almost a Slytherin.


	11. Past And Present Unite

_**Chapter 11**_

_**Past and Present Unite**_

_**Merlin's POV**_

"Harry is truly Arthur's Heir." I think as I look at the happy smile on the young boy's face as he looks around at the cheering crowd that I know will follow him wherever he leads them – even if he will still have a long way to go to be the king Arthur had been – especially if the Muggle and Magical World are still as divided as before.  
Then suddenly a very familiar meow sound is heard and I look to my right where a ginger coloured cat with very flat face and bright orange eyes walks down the small staircase leading to the Grand Staircase, his eyes on me very sharply and a familiar green gleam shown in them that shines stronger the longer I look at him.  
Shocked at seeing this cat after at least a thousand years have passed, I quickly page through the book I had found again until I reach the final part and reading there about the last actions of my good friend, I turn back to the cat and whisper: "You clever little devil." And the cat almost grins at me before passing me into the Great Hall.

_**Hermione's POV**_

Ever since our adventure in the Department of Mysteries ended so calmly and with such stupendous results, have I been waiting for something awful to happen and that thing does indeed happen, just after Harry's mates arrive at the Great Hall. But still, looking at Harry now, I can barely believe how much pain he was in earlier.  
Like always, Harry doesn't show it one bit, even if I have the strong belief that that Light beam that tall red-haired man shot off really helped in that, and my best friend proves his amazing talent in articulation yet again, explaining me things and making me see my mistakes without pushing me down or making me feel worthless.  
Hating that, as that is something Ron sometimes does and that the kids of Primary school always loved to do when I was younger, can I only imagine the amazing things Harry will still do in his learning to be the new King of Magical England. Then suddenly a familiar meow that I love beyond all is heard behind me.

Turning around, I see Crookshanks enter the Great Hall, something he usually only does when it's time for dinner or if I forgot his milk in the morning because I wanted to hurry to class. Wondering why he would be doing it this time, as I had put the milk down before going downstairs, do I notice something strange.  
The ancient man that had travelled with Harry's mates, that has a long blue robe and blue wizard's hat on and that wears circular glasses with a very small frame looks at my cat very attentively, as if seeing something in my pet that I cannot and it makes me remember how Sirius was able to see that my cat was Part-Kneazle.  
Hating how I hadn't known that until the last minute as it caused for Ron and me to constantly fight all year, I wonder what the ancient man could see in my pet, seeing I never met him before, even if I can't help but feel as if I do indeed know him from somewhere. Then the man says something I can't hear and Crookshanks walks past him.

_**Crookshanks' POV (just wait for it)**_

It's been over 1000 years since I cursed myself after the death of Helga and Rowena as I knew that Merlin had somehow – finally – mastered Dimension Travel and had gone to either another version of our world or somewhere even further away than that and I feel ever so relieved that my time as a pet will soon be at an end.  
To have seen all the things that I have and to be incapable of doing anything about the growing hatred towards my brother had I allowed myself to be moved to pet shops and had I stayed there, trying my hardest, again and again, not to be sold as I wished to be where I was until I saw a sign of my mentor's return to this world.  
This plan had been altered when I had seen the man behind the rat that had shown himself to the Diagon Alley Pet shop almost three years ago now and I had known, instantly, that his survival and appearance to me had to be the sign I had been looking for. Having toyed with the young girl until she bought me, I had waited.  
Waited as a faithful pet, even if the young red-head she is befriended with couldn't appreciate this, helping her keep far away of this magic hater, who has apparently learned how to use magic to destroy magic, something that makes me very scared of him as it makes him even more dangerous than when he killed my brother, Sal.

And now I am proven worthy of my patience and resilience as my mentor has arrived and I know he will have the magical ability to change me back to my human form, something I find a high requirement now that Arthur's Heir has finally shown himself, instead of all the Maiden Heirs I have seen over the centuries.  
Walking to my owner and making sure my mentor Merlin has seen me, I walk past the simple, yet intelligent girl, who has yet to learn how to stimulate her man's intelligence as his love for chess and his analyzing ability can easily be changed and inspired to a challenging need to – as she calls it – finish his homework.  
Then, I walk to the young man, who has over the years earned my trust, especially when I heard that he has drawn my sword out of its hiding place, my good friend the Sorting Hat. Locking eye-contact with the young wild-haired king, do I make sure to have his undivided attention before bowing down to him on my hind legs.

_**Ron's POV**_

"Eeh Hermione, did you forget to put Crookshanks' milk plate down again?" I ask my best friend, while looking at how the cat in question is bowing down to my best friend, something I can't blame the feline as Harry has just proven himself an intelligent, compassionate and very, very articulately talented king.  
The girl shakes her head and says: "I didn't, Ron, I know I didn't. I didn't want to worry about Harry not finding his mates, so I tried distracting myself as much as I could and made sure I did all the things I usually do in the morning, including feeding Crookshanks his milk." I nod and ask the question I know she wonders about herself:  
"Then why is he here?" And the old man that had travelled with Harry's mates, that had been looking at every aspect of Hogwarts as if retrying to take in all that he has seen long ago, walks forward and says: "I can give the explanation to that, young man." And we all look at him as he walks to Harry and asks: "May I, Your Highness?"

Harry turns red and nods as the man takes his place and he says: "I know all of you know of the little town situated just outside this castle and that it is a fully magical organization. What I also know that you don't, is that some of those buildings there have been situated there ever since the time of Godric, Helga, Salazar and Rowena."  
This shocks us all and the man goes on as he says: "One of them – you call it the Three Broomsticks nowadays – is the former home of Godric himself and he made sure to keep his memory alive in that building." He then holds up an old and almost completely destroyed book and says: "Through means of this here journal."  
This makes many students look at each other shocked, but I personally only have eyes for one person and that is my little sister, who has – as I already expected – whitened at hearing this and she asks – with fear more clear in her tone than she would have liked: "Is – is that – does that be-belong – is that the property of –?"  
But while many students of Ginny's year and higher get shocked more and more as she keeps being incapable of asking the question, do I only wish that she had not sat with her friends at another part of the table as I really just want to hug my little sister and make her forget about the terrible things diary-Riddle made her do.

Then the old man, who seems to believe that this is Ginny's regular behavior and who speaks quite calmly, says: "Yes, my fine girl, it is indeed –." Now Ginny whitens even further, which I notice is picked upon by a few of Harry's friends, but then the man makes Ginny's day as he says: "Godric Gryffindor's journal."  
This makes Ginny sigh in relief, which goes unnoticed by all but myself, Hermione, the twins and Harry's mates as everyone else now has their shocked eyes on the book in the old man's hand and he asks: "And what does this book have to do with this fine feline here appearing, you may ask yourselves? Very fine question."  
He then looks back at Crookshanks, who still bows down to Harry, even if Harry had gone to sit with the cat and is now stroking its spine from the neck down to the tail and the old man shocks me, makes Hermione squeak in shock and makes Harry stop his petting as he says: "Godric is the 1st known wizard to become an Animal."

Everyone looks at the man in shock and he smiles widely and says: "Ah yes, yes. Yes indeed. Such a glorious day, that was indeed. Godric and I had spoken wide and far about the many concepts of it, whether or not it was possible, what arts of magic would be required and then suddenly, months later he actually goes and proves it."  
He then laughs and says: "Although I do not believe either of us were expecting a cat to be his form, seeing how Sal always joked about Godric being more proud than a Lion King with a harem of 20 Lionesses and 70 newborn cubs." And finally do all hints the man has been giving hit home and I shout louder than necessary:

"YOU'RE MERLIN!"

And while many students look at me as if I've lost it, does the man's smile widening shock them even more than when we heard about Godric Gryffindor being an Animagus and Hermione asks: "Ron, how can that – even if his smile suggests it –." She shakes her head at this and asks: "How can that even be possible?"  
But then the man asks: "Dear girl, where do my travel companions come from?" And while I wonder whether he's mocking Hermione or testing her intelligence, does Hermione answer: "Another world?" The man nods, looking the very epitome of serenity and asks: "And what was rumored to be my final experiment? Do you know that?"  
The girl – the girl that I love dearly – nods and doubtfully says: "To study the boundaries –." And then she seems to prove to herself that this man is indeed Merlin and says: "The – the boundaries of Time and Dimensional Travel and whether or not certain decisions are the cause for paradoxes of worlds being created."  
Everyone is shocked at hearing this and the man says: "You sure know a lot of my studies, dear girl." And then I just want to laugh as I had already been expecting this answer and Hermione says: "It – it's in Hogwarts a History, sir." But at hearing this title, does Crookshanks suddenly start spitting and Merlin actually nods at him.

_**Merlin's POV**_

"Yes, my dear friend. You are indeed right." I say gently, not wanting to startle one of my four finest protégés as I go to sit on its other side, Harry looking more shocked at me sitting here than at me being a man who supposedly died a thousand years ago and I then start to slightly focus small samples of my magic into my hand.  
Moving my hand to my old friend, I see Godric looking at me and just by the look in his eyes do I know that he is trying – after all these years – to let our two cores unite for one strong form of magic and when I feel waves of magic come from the small furred body, does Harry gasp and pull his hand away while I smile.  
I then push a small bit of the samples of magic in my hand out and focus tightly on my outer magic senses – senses I developed mostly while training with Cloud and Leon – and smile widely as this makes uniting my magic with Godric's much easier, something that actually makes the feline purr as I move my hand closer.  
"Undo the curse, return to the body of long before." I whisper softly as my hand lies and then moves itself away from Godric's head and I feel Godric's magic respond to this single chant, the fur disappearing under my hand, the body growing and shifting, new limps forming, old ones vanishing and new materials forming along.

Slowly but surely the body changes and I make sure to move my hand all the way from Godric's brow down to his tail, my outer magic senses making sure to focus my magic on his lower regions as well as I pass them, before repeating the progress, repeating the chant and feeling my magic activate more of Godric's in return.  
Finally, wearing a long dark blue robe with red trim, stands a man with long brown hair, of which the half that reaches past his shoulders is tied down with a black band with a single ruby in the band and under this band is a braid, of which the downside is again tied down with the same kind of band, but then with a pearl in it.  
The man has muscles from his lower arms up to his shoulders, which are positioned slightly to the back due to years of standing before our students as a hero and a leader, and down all the way to his hips, while his body is still tall enough for his shape to be just between lean and an hourglass figure, but still look very handsome.

I smile at him as I see this, which to me is prove that the man has been keeping himself in shape even with the form he had resided in for the last millennium. I then look at his face and see the evidence that Godric has been fighting since my departure as his nose is broken flat, looking almost like a dish pressed against his face.  
Yet, this in itself does nothing to keep the man from looking as attractive as he did when I was still here last time and it actually makes his dark forest green eyes look even deeper, making them almost represent the Forbidden Forest I have taken notice of while walking here and it also makes the angry turned lips looking even more serious.  
The man's glare is also aimed at his own house and I cannot blame the poor man as he must have been an actual witness of the mutual anger growing between the students of those two houses, while Sal and he himself were closer than Sora is with Riku or Ventus is with Terra and Aqua or that Axel and Roxas were with each other.

All the students look shocked, both at the angry glare and at the fact that my fourth star pupil is back in a human body and then Godric opens his mouth and to the shock of all those around, does a booming voice escape his throat as he says: "Let me make one thing very clear. Salazar and I are brothers, never rivals.  
We were friends before we met Merlin, we were best friend when we – together – thought of building Hogwarts, we performed a Blood Ritual when Hogwarts was finished to tie ourselves to this school – thus creating the Chamber of Secrets – and we had Merlin as our witness when I adopted Salazar as my little brother by Blood and Magic."  
Everyone is now shocked beyond words and the young girl that had been so doubtful of me being who I am asks: "But – but – but the – the legendary fight!" And while I wonder what fight she could be talking of, does Godric say: "Was me wanting Salazar to take Helga with him during his summer quest as he would scurry the whole country.  
Sal had been hit a terrible curse that caused for constant aches, stiffness and pain to hit his knee and with that weaken both his leg as well as his defenses and his mobility and that was something I knew would hinder him in his search for the structure we needed for our plans, so I insisted he take Helga with him, but he is as stubborn as myself.

He refused and –." But then the man shivers and I look back at the small book in my hand, the letters of that one memory again flashing through my memory, together with my imagination helping me see just what my proud pupil saw and what my poor, poor ambitious pupil had to actually endure that terrible day.  
I then stand up from where I am still seated and whisper: "I read it, Godric. I read your memory." And the man closes his eyes and moves his head away from where my hand lies on his shoulder and he whispers: "Stupid stubborn fool." And while I know it is more a statement of hurt, do I whisper: "It was not just his fault."  
And this makes a growl escape Godric's throat that makes the girls sitting at the Lion's table beside us yelp in feared shock and that, again, makes me wonder how my pupil is a cat as an Animal and not a lion or something as he says: "Tell me something I don't know. The filthy bastard actually reproduced."  
"Wait. Who exactly are you talking about?" Harry suddenly asks us and while I hate to admit that being back in the presence of one of my pupils has made me forget about the young king, does Godric ignore the way my hand tightens on his shoulder in shock as he turns to Harry says: "Salazar's murderer, Peter Pettigrew."


	12. And With That He Leaves

_**Chapter 12  
**__**And With That He Leaves**_

_**Harry's POV**_

After being told you are to be King, that you have several mates, that you have fallen for a girl of your rivaling house and that your best friend's cat is really an Animagus, you would expect for someone to be prepared for more shocks, but to know that Peter Pettigrew is a man that lived a thousand years ago as well as today still silences me.  
But while I am silenced and while many students start to whisper about the fact that Salazar Slytherin was murdered, does my mind race with possibilities of what this could mean and then my eyes fall on the animal that is still in my lap, the animal I looked at when seeing Crookshanks be changed into Godric Gryffindor.

Realizing what it could mean for my godfather that an ancestor of Pettigrew is as evil as his namesake, do I ask: "Are you saying one of my father's friends has a murderer for a namesake?" Godric nods and then smirks at me and I suddenly remember that Crookshanks was present the day Sirius proved his innocence to me.  
Begging him with my eyes to continue my plan, the man makes me feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders as he says: "Yes, and those namesakes aren't the only things those two share. I was after all there, remember?" And I happily nod, Sirius even barking in response and making Hermione and Ron smile at him.  
Gryffindor then looks at me and reverently asks: "Do you wish for my statement to strengthen thy the decision for Immunity, my King?" And instantly I realize that while Gryffindor and I had completely different plans that his is even better than mine and I once again feel the proud weight of Excalibur on my back.  
Going with the instinct given to me by that very sword, do I stand up, causing for Sirius to stand by my side as I pull Excalibur out of its hilt, everyone looking at the sword with reverence and awe and while I strike the floor of the Great Hall with its tip, does Gryffindor stand in front of me and do I answer: "Yes, I do Lord Gryffindor."

Making the man smile at me with pride in his eyes, while the people that stood with Merlin now stand behind the man, all looking ready to help me where needed and then Gryffindor says: "I, Godric Gryffindor, hereby swear to the Crown that I witnessed Peter Pettigrew's presence be revealed on the 6th of June in 1994."  
Everyone reacts to this in shock and I say: "The Crown recognizes this Oath in response to its own presence that day, together with its own presence to the evidence that was presented to it and that, by oath and heart, proved Sirius Orion Black not guilty of any crimes he was sent to Azkaban prison for, without any form of legal trial."  
By now the shocked murmurs of 'Not guilty?' and 'has he lost it?' and 'Could Black be here cursing him?' have stumped down as soon as everyone heard me utter the words 'without any form of legal trial.' And while feeling as if the sword is guiding me where Arthur would have wanted me as King, do I say:

"Furthermore, does the Crown hereby decree Sirius Orion Black under official, law-abiding, oath-included Immunity of the Crown and all its services until either Minister Cornelius Oswald Fudge or any other member of the Ministry for Magic has seen it fit to redeem their mistakes made in November 1981.  
By crown, by oath, by Magic, so I, Harry James Pendragon-Potter, swear, so Mote it be." And while I have no doubt that, through the wording and magic of my oath, Fudge is now being informed of his new duties, do I feel the magic of the oath settling over me and do I feel my magic get a boost, obviously to help me protect Sirius.

The man, who has by now transformed as well, hugs me tightly and whispers: "You are a true King to be, you know that? Just never go somewhere you know it's dangerous without an adult you trust again, okay?" To this I nod, while wondering how that will be possible as the only adults I trust aren't always around.

By this time do I hear the students around me screaming and do I actually see some of the people in the group conjure weapons that resemble both keys as well as swords and I quickly jump in front of Sirius, shouting: "If any of you are really meant for me, you will trust that I know this man and you will trust me."  
The three that had drawn these weapons look shocked and then Lea again appears beside me, whispering softly: "Don't mind them, Harry, the story you told us just fights with what we were told last night and that story is still a little fresh. It was just a natural instinct of theirs, triggered by last night's story. Got it memorized?"  
I nod at the man, somehow feeling a lot calmer thanks to that question he asked and then look at Sirius, my eyes roaming over the student body as I turn to him and feeling slightly guilty as they all look at the man in pure fear. Deciding that, as their King, I need to make sure they don't fear my decisions, do I say:

"You need not to fear this man. He is the reason my team won the Quidditch Finals in 1993-1994 and that I survived the First Task. Furthermore, was it my adventure to save – his life that allowed me to finally gain access to Excalibur and did I myself, the Weasley Family and Hermione Granger spend last summer and Winter.  
This man deserves respect and honor, for he stayed within the bowels of hell, just to keep himself somewhere he can stay in contact with the outside world, because escaping at the wrong time would have made the effort to prove his innocence an impossible task, at least without the correct amount of evidence.  
This evidence was found by him and by myself on the Sixth of June in 1994, however it escaped due to circumstances that were out of both of our abilities and grasp and therefore, has this man been hiding himself, just to be somewhere he can be of help and assistance to those that need it, including I myself and Arthur Weasley.  
Arthur Weasley, who last winter was attacked by a Poisonous Snake and who had to be moved to St. Mungos, where he spent most of the rest of the winter holidays, all the way to the last day before school starts. During this period of time were the Weasley Family, I myself and Hermione invited at Sirius' household.  
We spent our last Christmas there and we were not for a single minute in any danger. So if you truly wish to believe that Sirius Black is a danger, then ask yourself this. If I am Sirius Black's main target and he has been in my presence more than a handful of times, then why do I stand here before you on this day, alive and well?"

By now everyone has their mouths wide open, all of them shocked silent and then Hermione is the first to start clapping, a gigantic smile on her face and Ron quickly following her example, Sirius, Merlin, my group of mates and Godric following in their lead and Dumbledore being the one to inspire the rest of the Hall to follow.  
Looking around I feel both relieved that I got through to these students and slightly embarrassed to again be the center of attention, but then I see proud smirks on the faces of many a Slytherin, under which Malfoy himself and I think: "This whole King thing might be worth more than just having a sword on my back."

_**Albus' POV**_

That boy is just full of surprises. I had, of course, expected for Harry to free Sirius first chance he got and while I wonder how much time it will take Cornelius to take action – or to prevent others at the Ministry from taking action – can I not help but wonder about whether or not there is a relation between Harry and myself.  
Of course I have grown to care more for Harry than I do for most of my other students, just like I had done with Severus, Remus, Lily, Alice, Frank, James and Sirius back in their own days, yet I can't help but be amazed at how much Harry just sounded like me and how – at the same time – he did not sound like me at all.

Hoping with all that I am that Cornelius will get his head on straight before he finds out who the new king to be is – as his current connection with Harry and his current beliefs will only mean trouble for Harry – do decide to aid the young king to be and do I pass his mates, smiling and applauding him all the while.  
Arriving at where he still stands, do I say: "As sign of agreement to our Majesty's new actions and Oath, do I hereby request of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to, once again, open up her majestic dorms and rooms, created solely for families, newlyweds or bonded and for those of Ancient Royal Lines."  
And while many of the students look at me shocked, do I sense two sets of rooms opening up, a door even appearing between the two and one being meant for Harry and his many mates, the room having several rooms together along with one room for all mates to be truly together and the other meant for Harry and Sirius by themselves.  
Then I also, to my shock, sense two other rooms opening again, rooms I have never been able to sense before and say: "It seems Hogwarts has recognized the return of one of its Founders and yours as well, Lord Merlin." The two smile at me and Gryffindor says: "I sensed the same and wise words indeed, Albus Dumbledore."

I nod, feeling amazed to be in the man's presence and then Merlin says: "Lea, come along and take your friends with you. I will lead you to your new rooms. Your Majesty? The rooms for you and your godfather are behind the portrait on the left of where your mates will be staying. Do you wish to join us on your track there?"  
Harry seems shocked to be offered such a thing and then Lea whispers something in his ear, that makes the shock disappear, while Sirius had looked on with a careful glance, obviously already feeling like he needs to chaperone the whole bonding of his godson and his 8 mates, but when Harry looks at him, does Sirius smile again.  
Harry then motions for Sirius to come along and Sirius nods, wrapping a proud yet protective arm around the boy before walking him and his godson out of the Great Hall, some of the students still looking at Sirius warily, while others look at the two of them in shock and again others look at Harry with newfound respect.

This makes me hope that Harry's new fame as king will diminish the consequences his fame as Boy-Who-Lived brings along and only when all eight mates, Daphne Greengrass, Harry, Sirius, Merlin and Lord Gryffindor have passed through the doors and to the Entrance Courtyard, does the grapevine of Hogwarts start yet again.  
But then suddenly Neville Longbottom stands up and shouts: "Stop it right now!" Everyone looks at him in shock and he says: "Every year again you and your little grapevine come up with the most ridiculous stories and the most disgusting pieces of hearsay and every year again Harry gets the brunt of all that crap.  
First year you all sent him to the Hospital 132 times in only three months time, 40 times of which he needed a Calming Draught and another 39 times of which it was done by his own House. Second year, you Hufflepuffs thought it right to punish him for something even you weren't sure of whether or not that was even true.  
You thought he was the Heir of Slytherin and attacker of Muggleborns, but it took his BEST FRIEND being attacked for you to realize his mother AND best friend are Muggleborn. Third year, you amazingly enough went easy on him and left him alone for most part, even if the same can't be said for last year.  
As last year, Gryffindor House was so happy to have a Champion, it took the most dangerous of all Dragon Kinds for you numbskulls to realize why the Tournament had been closed off in the first place and even then only Ron, I myself and Hermione had the actual common sense to ask: "Harry, how are you feeling now?"

By now many students are cringing in guilt and hanging their heads in shame, while most of the younger years have their mouths wide open, obviously shocked that this has happened in the years before they even came here and while I feel terrible that none of my teachers did anything to stop it, do I suddenly notice something.  
Neville seems to be fighting something and it seems as if his anger is the source for him fighting whatever it is that keeps him from saying something that he obviously believes is further evidence of these misdeeds. But then suddenly Luna Lovegood comes over and lies her hand on his, making Neville stop fighting before he says:

"But this year, this year was the absolute worst." At this Severus and some of the older Slytherins snort derisively and while I sincerely hope that my colleague can lay his grudge to the side for the sake of his new king, are my hopes proven wrong as the man says: "Please Mr. Longbottom, as if you or any of your –."  
But then Neville proves just how sick he is of everyone and their behavior as he glares with fury at the man – who I know was his biggest fear only two years ago and shouts: "SHUT UP, YOU OVERGROWN BULLY!" And instantly I know Neville hit Severus at his weakest spot, making Severus hold his mouth indeed.  
The boy pants and sighs as he turns back to the student body, those in Gryffindor and other Houses, who of course knew of the Boggart incident of a few years back, look at the boy with awe and reference and he seems to calm down from this a little, especially as it proves he has their full attention and he says:

"Harry might have become famous almost fifteen years ago now, when he got that scar and when Voldemort lost all of his power, but he also did something else. Who here, that doesn't know Harry personally and hasn't spend more than a month time in Harry's active presence can tell me what this other thing is?"  
By now many students look confused at how Neville phrased the question and even I wonder why Neville would do this, but then I hear the words: 'Something else?' and 'nothing else happened, did it?' and the worst of them all 'what else could have happened?' Making me look at the students around me with hurt in my eyes.  
"YOU UNBELIEVABLE MONSTERS!" Neville then shouts and while Minerva wants to stand up, do I raise my hand at her, telling her I agree with Neville's statement and the woman sits back down, looking at me shocked before Neville goes on and shouts: "HE LOST HIS PARENTS, YOU HEARTLESS BASTARDS!"  
And instantly all the students look down, all of their faces filled with shame at not remembering this and Neville says: "Voldemort killed Harry's parents. Now it's one thing that you have been believing two months of Prophet Slander over all the years Harry has been here, but actually forgetting what Harry lost that night?

I have no words for how deeply ashamed I currently am to have to call myself a Hogwarts student." And while I had hoped and silently sworn that no student would ever say these words while I lead it, can I only give young Neville right as he must have been open witness of all these terrible events happening to young Harry.  
Then suddenly a thought comes up in my mind and I ask: "Mr. Longbottom, why did Mr. Potter never come to any of the teachers for any of this?" But Neville just rolls his eyes, while Snape seems to get his confidence back and smirks at the lad, who says: "Because his Head of House is the cause for the whole first fiasco."  
Now I look at Minerva and Neville says: "Harry told me the whole story two days after that night you caught the three of us and he did it under his own Truth oath – yes, an eleven year old knows about Truth oaths. There _really_ was a Dragon and the only reason none of the teachers knew of it was because Hagrid had the dragon.  
It was given to him through some game by a stranger and he was in love with it, but he lived in a wooden cabin and he was abandoning his Game Keeper Duties, so Harry Ron and Hermione wrote to Charlie Weasley, who wrote them back, telling them he couldn't be seen with an illegal dragon, which made them –."

And here Neville halts, looking pointedly at Minerva, who seems whiter than I expected her and who softly says: "Be caught at the Astronomy Tower after midnight as it's the largest at Hogwarts and causes for perfect shadows to hide Mr. Weasley and his illegal luggage while they fly it back to the Reserve."  
Neville nods and then spats: "Something you could have found out four years ago, had you simply sat down and asked us, instead of looking like a firebreathing dragon yourself and thinking Harry would pull something a like prank on one of his own Year mates. That whole theory of yours didn't even make sense in the first place."  
He ends frustrated and I ask: "Why not, Mr. Longbottom?" As Minerva is still too shocked at hearing the truth to respond and Neville says: "If harry really wanted to pull a prank, he would have pulled it on Malfoy, not me. And if he really did, he would have been in the common room, enjoying it and catching me before I ran out.  
That means Harry wasn't pulling a prank, that he didn't know I was involved and that McGonagall had no rights whatsoever to think he would. Why on earth did she think he would prank anyone in the first place?" He ends even more frustrated than before and I answer: "Because his father was the biggest prankster in the last 30 years."

Now Neville shouts in fury, which alarms me and he says: "And that's another thing! Another thing that bugs the absolute living daylights out of me. Because if it's not the students wanting to see their perfect little hero, who will never do them wrong, its all of you adults wanting to see his dead parents in him twenty-four seven.  
I need at least all the hands of all the students at Gryffindor Table if I want to count all the times Harry was compared to his parents by a teacher in the last five years. And even if he is, it's only such small things, I'm surprised Harry even knows who those two are. Because all he hears about them is their achievements and how he resembles them.  
Seriously, either you adults expect to see either Lily or James Potter in that little fifteen year old or these idiots expect to see some kind of human house elf that will play the hero and follow their every order. Who Harry is, what his character is like, what he thinks, feels and what he believes in – DO ANY OF YOU EVEN CARE?"

He shouts in the end, his fury almost high enough I feel worry as to whether or not it will mingle with his magic and while I feel absolutely terrible that Mr. Longbottom – and probably Harry himself – feel this way, does Neville say: "Harry once told me something, something I think will prove just how he thinks about you teachers."  
Now I feel worried yet intrigued and even Severus has an upraised eyebrow, while I'm pretty sure he only has interest because Neville keeps screaming his anger and the boy says: "He told me at the start of this year, there are only two adults that he trust. One of them is Arthur Weasley, the other I today believe to be Sirius Black.  
I believe this, because that day Harry told me and I quote: _"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Neville, but this man has supported me in ways only Arthur Weasley, Ron, Hermione and you have supported me, so he and you three and Mr. Weasley are the only ones, I trust with my magic, my heart and my life."_

By now most of my female teachers – bar Minerva and Aurora – are in tears along with many of the female students and Neville says: "All Harry ever wanted was to be one of these students. To have a life of his own, to worry over his studies and his friends and to laugh and cheer whenever a House played a Quidditch match.  
Instead of that does he have to constantly be on his guard, keep his eyes open to how his teachers are watching him, does he have to keep a constant ear on the grapevine to see what it says about him and does he have to wear a passive mask around everyone, whenever he walks out of his own bloody bed in the morning.  
Harry has to fake, pretend and act almost twenty-four seven and that that boy hasn't had a heart attack, a mental break down, a loss of magic or a need to kill himself yet – I consider that a miracle I can call myself proud of as I am of the full 100% belief that my, Hermione, Ron, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Black's support have contributed to.  
The sad thing is –." He ends with a sigh as he moves out of his seat, walks to the Great Hall doors while all the students and teachers look at him, all of their eyes wide with the need for him to finish that sentence and at the doors he turns to us and with a defeated voice says: "We're the only ones – who actually care." And with that he leaves.


	13. A Personal Set of Rooms

_**Hey everyone,  
**__**Here's another chapter and I have a little confession to make. A new Era is a story that has and loses my interest as the times comes and goes. So some chapters might not be as great as others, but I will continue this until I feel I can close it off with pride, which probably won't be for a while, but still.  
**__**Also, I have plans for Harry and the whole Royal Heir thing, but for that you have to wait. It might be that these plans come up in Keyblade's Light first – as Harry is Heir to Arthur in both stories – but I first need to discuss with Nate the Lycan whether or not we want to implant these ideas in that story as well as this one.  
**__**Either way, Neville's outburst is pretty much the whole reason for me getting this idea – together with the little thing Hermione came up with in the last chapter of Keyblade's Light – so there is at least a guarantee that before the end of the story, you loyal readers will know what kind of plans I plan to bring to this here story.  
**__**Okay, enough hint-hint,  
**__**Enjoy the chapter,**_

_**Venquine1990**_

* * *

_**Chapter 13  
**__**A Personal Set Of Rooms**_

_**Harry's POV**_

The whole thing that happened in the Great Hall still bugs me, but also makes me feel proud of myself and happy about Destiny's choices for my Mates. It's obvious all of them have grown to care for me in the very little amount of time we have gotten to know each other and while I wonder about some of them, does one other thing bug me.  
"Who are you people anyway? I know you're my mates, but none of you have told me your names yet." I suddenly tell all of them, while they walk either in front or behind me and the whole group, bar Aerith and Lea get guilty looks on their faces, while Lord Gryffindor seems to chuckle at the sight itself.

Then the three that had, before, kept my friends back while Aerith and Lea helped me, turn to me and the woman, who has ocean blue hair and beautiful eyes, says: "I'm Aqua, these are Terra and Ventus." And I can instantly see how the two got their names as Terra has a true body-builder figure, where Ventus is lean and small like me.  
Smiling at the three, do I see the blonde man that helped them step forward and he says: "My name is Even, my greatest apologies for forgetting such important manners to you, our united mate." And while the title makes me blush a little, do I feel amazed and touched by his words and his fluid, intelligent way of speech.

I then look at the last of my mates who has yet to introduce himself and the elder teen seems a little shy, which I believe is because he feels ashamed of not introducing himself earlier, but then he sweeps his bangs back in place over his eye and says: "I am Ienzo and while my powers are so, is our bond no illusion, sweet prince."  
This makes everyone smile, while I can't help but cringe and blush at the same time at hearing yet another compliment and Sirius asks: "Can we keep the courting to somewhere more private, please?" But while the group glares at him at first, does a single glare from me make them look ashamed and does Lea whisper:  
"We really need to forget about that tale we were told last night." But while he looks away while saying it, do I retort: "Or we move to the private quarters and Sirius and I tell you what really happened." The man smiles at me and nods and with Merlin and Lord Gryffindor in the lead, do we move on.

_**Sirius' POV**_

"Those six might be meant for him, I don't think they'll ever get there if they don't start trusting his judgment." Goes through my mind while I watch how those mates of my godson first glare at me and then get reprimanded by a return glare from their own mate, before Harry suggest we tell them the truth and we all move on.  
I personally think I know where Lord Gryffindor and Merlin are taking us and while I feel amazed that Gryffindor still knows Hogwarts so incredibly well after a millennium, do I then remember that the man has also been in this school as an actual cat for the last three, something that finally brings some sense to a little something I worried about.

As a Dog Animagus had I always had trouble being around McGonagall, especially when she would bring the subject of Animagus' or their forms up in any kind of conversation, so the fact that Crookshanks became friendly with me and that I never had trouble with him had bothered me since our first meeting.  
"On the other hand, is Gryffindor just an Animagus, just like McGonagall, so that still doesn't really explain the ease of our bond and the missing enmity between our two forms." Goes through my mind while I look at the man and I make sure to remind myself that I need to speak with the Lord of the Lion House at a later time.

_**Harry's POV**_

We arrive at two portraits, both of who are in the exact midst between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tower and when I see the maiden in one and the many knights in the other, do I ask: "Are you the portraits guarding the rooms of myself, my godfather and my mates?" And the Maiden smiles, while one of the knights says:  
"That is indeed correct. However, I refuse to answer to such a vial and cruel monster, which is the man beside you. He shall not pass through my portrait." This makes me glare at the man in the portrait and I spat in return: "Then I guess it's a good thing that you're guarding the dorms for my mates, not my godfather, who has royal protection."  
The knight whitens at hearing the end of this and with just a small tap of my shoulder, does Excalibur show itself again, the hilt shining due to the sun coming from a window in the south-eastern corner. Instantly all other knights in the portrait shine at the one with the blabbermouth and the maiden asks me with a curtsey:  
"What is your password, my King?" And while some of the knights start vocally harassing the loudmouth knight, do two others turn to me, the same question visible in their eyes and I look from the maiden to my godfather, thinking: "I need a password that Sirius will understand in a second and that only those that know him will guess."

Then an idea pops up and I say: "Bonds of Pranks." The Maiden curtseys again and I answer the knights: "Royal Crowns." Believing my mates to have equal rights to the throne as I, even if only one is to represent my line as Heir to King Arthur. The two knights bow and the maiden is the first to open up her portrait.  
The two knights then seem to bring peace between the loudmouth and the other knights and when all five hear that a password has been given, does their portrait open as well. I then turn to my mates and they all nod as Lea says: "We'll check our rooms. Meet in your common room once the dorms have been checked?"  
I nod and we all separate, Gryffindor and Merlin bowing to me before Merlin says that he and Lord Gryffindor will return to their own rooms, my mates moving through the portrait of the knights, where the four from before are again talking down on the loudmouth and Sirius guiding me through the portrait hole of the maiden.

Once inside, I feel amazed as this place is everything I always wanted out of Gryffindor, while at the same time making me feel as if I just entered the Gryffindor common room. The banners are there, even if they are still without any symbol, the red and yellow have turned darker and all in all does the room look cozy and warm.  
Standing where I am, I turn on my axe, recognizing the four person table with four wooden seats near the large ornate window where Gryffindors used to do their homework or play chess, the fireplace with two cozy arm chairs and a large three-person couch and the half-moon shaped staircase to the dorms upstairs.

"Still feels as if something's different, doesn't it?" Sirius then asks me and I ask: "Other than the darker, cozier colors and the banners without symbols, you mean?" And Sirius says: "Exactly. What is it that is so different about this – wait, you're on the other side of the room." He suddenly says and I ask him shocked:  
"Yeah, so?" And he answers: "Well, usually when someone speaks from the other side of the room, I hear – the portraits!" The man shouts and he says: "There are no portraits here! That's what's different. There are no blabbermouth portraits here that spread whatever rumor they can find into the Hogwarts Grapevine."  
And only then do I realize that beside the warm colors and the brown-reddish banners, there really is nothing adorning the walls, not even any empty frames to put new portraits in. Feeling shocked, I almost feel left alone without all those eyes constantly staring at me as I speak with my friends and discuss our and school wide problems.

"This room is amazing. Man, I wish we had these rooms when James and I were still in school. The amount of pranks we could have pulled without those nasty buggers ratting us out because it went against one of their morals. It would have been paradise!" Sirius laughs as he twirls around on his axe in the center of the room.  
This makes me shake my head with a smile, while I've learned this year that not all of Sirius' pranks were really all that funny, can I not help but wonder how this childish man can help me settle down with all those mates who are currently checking out their own rooms, the door to their common room just to the left behind me.  
Looking at the door, do I wonder if – because this room seems to have adapted to our love for Gryffindor – their rooms will also adapt themselves and if so, how big the differences between them will be as each of them – or at least five of them – are supposed to come and represent the five lines I descend from.

_**Lea's POV**_

I absolutely love the chambers given to us and especially my own. The red is not too hot and pressing down and still not to soft and girly and makes me feel as if I just walked into a room with a warm, everlasting fire, burning gently in the hearth, while the hearth itself feels to have surrounded me from all the walls.  
The bed is both big enough I can spread my arms and legs all the way wide without reaching the edges and that, if I were to have a bed partner, we could comfortably snuggle up to each other as we fall asleep, something I definitely plan on doing once my little flame and I have grown a little bit closer to each other.  
The desk against the other wall is situated under a circular wall of about two feet in diameter, with the ornate glass allowing just enough light through that the walls of the room look warm and comforting, yet not enough that – if I were to sit at the desk for any job at all – the sun would constantly shine into and hurt my eyes.  
There are two large floor to ceiling windows on each side of my bed, both with dark Bordeaux red curtains that are obviously meant not to let a single ounce of light through once closed and there is an extra door in the right wall that, upon opening it, opens up to an amazing bathroom with shower for one and bath for two.

Imagining the way Harry and I can wake up here and then go and take a relaxing bath together or, after dinner, have a relaxing bath to help our stomachs settle from a large meal before diving into bed together, completely filled and relaxed from our night together, do I quickly leave the room, not wanting to get ahead of myself.  
I then take another gander through the room and think: "This is downright amazing." And smile as I can really see myself settle here, something I had been fearing to do as I had – kind of – wanted to meet Harry and then take him to Radiant Garden once I heard that he had a murderous godfather and a maniac out for his life.  
I then shake my head and walk out of my rooms, only to see Terra and Even do the same, both of them with determined faces and Even says: "It would seem that all three of us came to the same decision, did we not?" And Terra and I nod at him before he nods back and we all head over to the portrait of the knights.  
Not being able to see them, I know they are still listening and say: "Listen, once all eight of us have settled here and once Harry has settled in both rooms, do I want you to constantly make sure you have Harry's permission or one of ours before you let anyone into our rooms. Can I count on your loyalty for this task?"  
And all eight knights shout: "For our King, we shall not fail you!" And I know that they figured out that Harry is the King, which makes me smirk as Even says: "It seems even the portraits here are loyal to both this ancient King of Legends as well as his legacy. We must certainly remember to use this to our advantage whenever possible."

I nod at the man, knowing he has lost nothing of the intelligence that he was known for as either himself or his devious Nobody. Then suddenly do I remember something and hesitate as I say: "Eh – Even." But the man seems already able to read my thoughts as he waves me away while turning around and says:  
"Lea, if your Nobody had not destroyed mine, then who is to say if Sora and the others would have succeeded their journey against Organization XIII, or even if Sora would have defeated Master Xehanort. I thank you for not letting either me or my Nobody worry about those things, so don't worry about Axel's actions regarding Vexen."  
And with that I smile at the man as he takes a seat at the hearth stationed in the common room, his legs easily twisting themselves on top of a warm brown foot cushion standing near the seat he is in and Terra sends me a curious look, to which I respond with one that says: "Later." Before we both take our own seats.

_**Aerith's POV**_

This room is amazing. The walls are a soft, forest green with hints of different shades of green here and there, making me feel as if I'm in the middle of a clearing surrounded by woods, while the floor itself is made of self-heated stone, making sure I remember I'm in a room without running the chance of getting cold feet.  
My bed is absolutely amazing and while it's quite a simple bed, made of soft linen and other, thick fabrics, are all the materials light as feathers and so easy to move, I know I'll be able to roll from one side of the bed to the other without getting strangled by my blanket or something, which used to happen in Radiant Garden.  
I have at least three windows in almost every wall and even in the walls that I know connect my room to the others, do I see the outside, which makes me absolutely amazed with the magic of this castle and makes me wonder if Merlin, Gryffindor or someone else created the magic that now makes me able to see the lake and forest.

There is also a door on the right in the back wall, while the door from my own room to the common room is in the middle of this wall and when I pass the door, do I see two baths, one made completely out of the darkest of wood and with some holes and lines between the wooden planks, which in return are filled with soft herbs.  
The other is made of soft brown stone and is large enough, I can already see Harry and me lying in it, me lying on Harry's chest as he massages all kinds of my favorite herbs into my hair, or me lying under him, while he leans against my chest and tells me of what he's been through the day, while I softly hum as I read my favorite book.  
Feeling as if I can completely be at peace with myself in this room, do I finally feel calmed down, which has been harder and harder for me since I heard that terrible tale of Salazar Slytherin and what the people in this world believed of him and I think: "I can really grow to be a contribution to the bond in these rooms."  
And with a happy smile do I walk out of the bathroom, making sure to pluck a rose from the vase I had actually seen standing on a small side table near the door and then seating myself in one of the verandas of the windows, opening the window just a tad and making me feel the wind in my face as I look out over the forest.

_**Daphne's POV**_

"Now this is the kind of room I wanted." I think with a self-satisfied smile as I look around. Dark purple walls, the kind that makes you think of blueberry jam, a steel iron set of closets placed against the left side wall with beautiful dark oak set into the iron, a bed made for a Lady with dark blue draping and black curtains.  
The room might look dark and spooky, to me it breaths the warmth of a mother's hug as my mother always wears either purple, dark blue, brown or some dark iron color and she was not above hugging me whenever we were somewhere private, whether this be at home in my room or somewhere at the ladies room of a High Tea.  
Hoping mother will be pleased with my rooms and with the fact that I have finally caught the man of my dreams, do I personally feel relieved as Professor Snape completely overwhelmed Slytherin House last night with the announcement of my engagement and the announcement of a new King having been born.  
This, I know, made the Slytherins behave so neutral at breakfast this morning and while I know I can still rely on Blaise and Draco, as Draco seems to have accepted the new King and because Blaise and I have been friends since we were four, do I fear for the older Slytherins, especially for Seventh year Burk Bernhard.

Bernhard has been hinting at people that my ice-cold exterior is only some kind of ruse, yet the reason behind it makes me blush in embarrassment every time I hear the foul Snake speak it to those old enough to say it, meaning mostly the elder Fourth years, my own year mates, the Sixth and Seventh years of Slytherin House.  
That the Snake is spreading word that I'm a slut and hiding it with my ice-cold mask isn't really what bothers me, though, it's the reason why that does, something Bernhard did the first time I confronted him about it. "Those without guilt always love the thrill of clearing their name – and Greengrasses have the longest breath, they say."  
The boy had said and I had asked: "So what?" And the Slytherin had leered at me, actually making a shudder run down my spine, before he had shocked me and said: "Well, you have a long breath, let's see how big that mouth of yours is. Big enough to fit mini-me, perhaps?" I had furiously turned and walked away from him after this.

However the anger had been a fake and I have no doubt Bernhard knows this. Shuddering at the memory, do I decide to come clean, especially to either Harry or one of the other mates that my partner has that can, hopefully defend me, when I open my door and see Terra, Even and Lea all at the door to the Grand Staircase.  
Wondering where they could be going, do I hear the Knights shout: "For our King, we shall not fail you!" And realize that the three have just ensured our safety and privacy from the rest of the school while in these dorms, something that makes me think: "No more Bernhard trying to intercept my route to my dorms."  
And with that do I turn around, close the door and lie myself on my bed, feeling the warmth of the colors of my room surrounding and embracing me and somehow feeling them unite with the fact that Lea, Terra and Even just – unknowingly– protected me from losing my virginity to a right-out pervert, which makes me cry in relief.

* * *

_**Okay, that's where I end it.  
**__**I wanted to go on and write about the rooms of the others, but that would make me have to write about ALL the rooms and I had nothing regarding how Terra and Even would have experienced the whole thing with the Knights and their oath not to let anyone in, not to mention reading about eight different rooms would bore even a librarian.  
**__**So instead of that, did I chose three of Harry's eight mates, who I think are just about different enough that their rooms will give me a chance to really give them a personality and, on the same time, offer you readers some variety. Next chapter will be about Neville entering Harry's rooms and a hint to the little plan I had.  
**__**Anyway, enjoy,**_

_**Venquine1990**_


	14. His Way

_**Hey everyone, here's the next chapter!  
**__**I just want to warn all of you that this again will mostly be me winging it where I can and just letting my fingers do the talking as – other than the little thing I wrote about last Bottom AN – I have ABSOLUTELY nothing to write about, even though this was a story I had great hopes for when I started it.  
**__**Oh well, enjoy,**_

_**Venquine1990**_

* * *

_**Chapter 14  
**__**His way**_

_**Neville's POV**_

I have never felt so exhilarated, alive and proud of myself as I do right now while following Harry and his gang as they make their way to their new rooms and while I stay close enough I can hear their conversations, do I stay far away enough that the group doesn't take notice of me as I want to give them a chance for themselves.  
Yet when they enter their rooms, am I glad for my certain amount of distance as I was able to lip-read Harry's new password and a few minutes after he has entered, do I answer the password myself, entering at the Maiden and not the Knights as I'm sure Harry will be a little more accepting to me having followed him.  
I am, naturally, proven correct as Harry seems shocked to see me, but the shock is quickly replaced with happiness and he asks: "Wondering about my loyalty to Sirius?" And while I can't help but wonder how much of what Harry spoke of regarding the man is true, do I shake my head and while Harry is confused, do I say:  
"Got sick of those students and their need for gossip. Tried making sure it wouldn't go out of proportions by reminding them about the last four years. Didn't exactly end the way I planned, but I'm pretty sure I got the message through to their thick skulls. Finally." I end in exasperation as Harry and Sirius laugh at me.

Then the mates arrive and Daphne is the first to notice me as she asks: "Neville, how long have you been here?" And I answer: "It's easy to get all the required information if you know how to stick to the shadows. Just a shame not everyone not in the shadows is always willing to listen to said information, but so be it."  
The girl nods and then the sturdy man – who I found out is named Terra – asks: "So, care to tell us your side of the story? What we heard from Madame Rosmerta doesn't exactly speak profit about you, you know." And he crosses his arms, seemingly ignoring the angry glare Harry sends him, as he looks at Sirius with a stern gaze.  
Sirius, however, seems not at all impressed with the stare and asks: "That your best 'tell me now or die' look? I've seen a whole lot better on the faces of my friends and I haven't seen those since I was a teenager." This seems to catch the sturdy man off guard, while Harry smirks, obviously pleased that his mate got his comeuppance.

The whole group then moves themselves back to the common room of the other portrait and when we are all seated, does Harry ask: "So, how bad were those grapevine lovers?" And I roll my eyes, preferring not to think back to that little problem, but knowing Harry – as my friend and king – deserves the truth and so I say:  
"Let me answer that with a simple report on the worst part of when I talked sense into them. They didn't even remember that two things happened on Halloween when you became Boy-Who-Lived. All they remembered was your defeat of Voldemort, that your parents had died in that event didn't even seem to matter to them."  
This shocks everyone and Sirius asks: "That's a joke, right?" But I shake my head and while some of the members, particularly Terra, look at Sirius with the same stern gaze as before, do I say: "I wish to Merlin himself that it was, Sirius. I even questioned them on the night and asked them what happened that night.  
I told them about Voldemort's defeat and Harry's fame and then asked what other thing happened and made sure to exclude people like Ron and Hermione. The most infuriating of it all, when I asked that, I actually heard people ask each other and I quote: _nothing else happened, did it _and _what else could have happened?_"  
By now new rage is boiling under my skin and I am almost hissing out these words as I can still vividly remember how clueless and stupid the students that asked these things looked, something that – because some of them were elder years – makes me again feel shame of my own placement in this House and School.

"So you told them everything?" Harry asks, while he seems to be holding Sirius back by having a strong hold on the man's hand and I nod and say: "Everything, from the visits to the Hospital Wing in first, to how you feel about their behavior to you and what you have always actually wanted, you know, be a normal student and all."  
This makes Harry smile and he says: "Thanks Neville, but I think being normal is a little impossible now." This makes me tilt my head as Harry had been wishing to be normal for as long as I can remember and he asks: "Eight mates and a Royal Heritage? Makes being normal a little impossible, don't you think?"  
At this I can't help but laugh, even while I am almost certain that, deep down inside, Harry is bumped beyond words that his dreams are again smashed by something he just can't control, just like it has been happening since he first stepped foot into the magical world and got his first taste of the Boy-Who-Lived fame and glory.  
I then look around yet again and think: "Maybe, somehow, these people can change that around. Maybe they can give Harry some form of normalcy. Maybe –." And then an idea pops into my mind and I shout: "HARRY, I GOT IT!" Shocking everyone around me and making some of the mates actually fall off their seats.

"Got it? Got what?" The young man named Ventus asks as he gets back up on his seat, rubbing the back of his head while I'm pretty sure he isn't hurt at all and I say: "A way to get everything you ever wanted. Retire!" Everyone looks shocked and Harry almost stutters as he asks me: "Retire? Retire from what?"  
But I shake my head as Harry is clearly too shocked by my sudden outburst to be on the same line as me, as he often is when we have our own little alone time to make sure Harry can recuperate and again go out to handle the pressure of all the students outside his own bed and dorm and then I continue my line of thought and say:  
"You misunderstand me. I meant to say you should see this whole royal thing as a job, just like there are Aurors, Healers and teachers. Everyone of those retire one day and move away from where they used to work, it's just something we wizards do. You should do the same once you feel sure you have led a good kingdom."

Harry looks shocked and I raise my fists in excitement at him as I say: "Don't you see? If you see this whole royalty as just another job, you can feel a little more as if you're normal, like the rest of us and it will make it easier for you to give off the throne to your Heir once he gets off age or when you get old enough to step down.  
Don't you see, it's the perfect plan!" I end in pure excitement and Harry's eyes are wide as he hears me out, but then Lea says: "I got to admit, the kid knows how to think ahead." A smile visible on his face while his eyes are closed and his arms are crossed over his chest, the smile proving how proud he is of me for thinking this through.  
The others all look at each other and then Ventus goes on: "It really does sound good, but –." And we all look at him as he says: "I think I have a better idea." This shocks me as I didn't think there could be anything better than what I just thought of and Terra says: "I think I know what you're planning, Ven, but I slightly disagree."  
This seems to shock Ventus and Terra says: "If your train of thought is the same as mine, then both plans are equally good and we should just let Harry decide. Both plans concern his role as King after all and we have yet to decide who will rule by his side. It's his kingdom in the end, so he should make the choice between plans."

Ventus nods, the smile on his face showing how relieved he is that Terra still thinks his plans as good as mine and then Sirius says: "Well, out with it. What's the other plan?" But while Ventus and Terra send stern glares at the man, does Aqua roll her eyes at the two and she says: "Where we come from – we are the only residents of that world."  
This shocks Sirius, Harry and myself and Ventus says: "We used to live there together with our Master, Master Eraqus, but we also had an enemy that has been controlling and damaging the lives of many worlds for the last twelve years – not counting last year – and he was able to manipulate us in taking down our own master."  
At this the woman and Ventus look at Terra, who suddenly has his head down, his hands tied into fists on his knees and self-hate showing in his eyes. Harry seems to react to this the best as he walks over and softly grabs Terra's hands, his fingers massaging the tied-up fists until the anger disappears out of the strangle hold and the hands open up.  
While this happens, does Harry keep eye-contact with Terra the entire time and just by that one look, that one look of Harry somehow understanding Terra's pain, can I see the anger and self-hate vanish out of the man's eyes, only for tears of pain and gratitude to appear and slowly, unnoticed by Terra himself, fall down his cheeks.  
Harry then releases one of the hands and softly catches one of the tears, closing his eyes and actually kissing the finger on which he caught the tear, before he smiles at Terra one last time and takes his seat again. But when Sirius wraps a proud arm around him, do I see Harry shake his head lightly and do I realize something.

Harry was working on his inner Potter instincts. He had indeed, at first, wanted to comfort his mate, but must not have known how to and must have just let his inner Instincts taken control, which in turn brought out the Submissive in what I am sure is his Neutral Potter Nature, thus guiding him to perform the acts that he did.  
Hoping Terra hadn't noticed this sudden awakening from his own instincts of Harry, do I just see the man smiling at Ventus and Aqua, the peace that now shines in the man's eyes proving to me that the man seems to have found peace with what this enemy of his manipulated him into doing somewhere during these years of battle.  
Then Sirius coughs and says: "So ehem, the plan?" And Aqua nods as she says: "Ven's plan is real simple. Have Lea and the others make several corridors of Darkness to The Land of Departure and send the Magical World there, to live under your ruling. It will bring people to our world and a castle to you, Harry."

I personally can't believe what I'm hearing and I ask: "Are you CRAZY? There are new Muggleborns born every year! What will happen to them if we send everyone from the Magical world to another world? I'll tell you what! they'll be discovered and it'll be a massacre just like all other Witch Hunts of the last four centuries!"  
Everyone looks shocked and I say: "Every single witch hunt in the last four-hundred years was because the Magical World had shed itself too far away from the Muggle world for the Muggleborns to be easily reachable. That made them rely more on their Muggle side of life and that made us be discovered every time again."  
At this the group cringes and I say: "If you want to move the Magical World away, do it so that Muggleborns don't become the victims of that move as every time in the last four centuries, the witch hunts started with newborn Muggleborns." And Ventus nods as he says: "Okay, never mind. He's right, bad idea."

But then Even says: "It doesn't have to be." Everyone looks at him as he has a confident smirk on his face and says: "Ienzo, am I right to believe you can grow a field of illusions strong enough you can sense out when others perform magic?" And from the blonde does everyone look at the teenager with the blue hair who nods and says:  
"Yes, Even, you are indeed right." This makes the smile on Even's face grow and he says: "That is wonderful. Then all we need to do is have a field of Ienzo's illusions." But again I shake my head, interrupting the man's speech and I say: "There are at least seven Half-blood families living in every town and city across our country.  
You'd be picking up so much of their magic, you wouldn't be able to discern it from newborn Muggleborn magic." And the two sigh as they again have to give me right before I say: "I do, however, think we can combine the two ideas." Everyone looks at me surprised and I smile as I continue and say:

"Our world's Ministry is underground, at least a few dozen feet underground, and the Minister won't be willing to give up his seat very easily, no matter the law, the Ancient Rules, the Promise between Lancelot and Arthur or the Royal heritage. However, we can let Fudge agree to co-rule alongside a fair king – while he stays in office."  
Everyone looks at me in intrigue and I say: "Let all of us – or at least all of you – move to this new world, this Land of Departure, and put what you call this Corridor of Darkness in the main room and then connect it to Fudge's office, perhaps with an extra one connected to the Conference room of the Wizengamot.  
Fudge can then be the one to bring out all plans and laws Harry wants to instate and can be the one to make sure they are followed and that Harry is followed as King, while staying in office and having a say over the Magical world himself as Minister. He and Harry will be partners, while your world will have new people living in it."

Everyone looks shocked and I say: "Just make sure Harry has somewhere else to go once he no longer needs a proper castle as he will, naturally, step down one day. Let him have a secondary home somewhere, a place he can go to live with all you guys once a new king has come to take the throne from his father."  
At this everyone smiles and then Ventus asks: "How did you know we lived in a castle?" But I shrug and say: "Why else would you suggest the place to be where Harry would rule. No king can live without a castle, right?" And while everyone laughs at my easy logic, does Harry look at me in gratitude and say:  
"I don't care where I'll rule, Neville, as long as we can – in any way or form – take Hogwarts alongside us. I don't want to rule England if my people don't have Hogwarts to send their kids to. Too many adults have good memories of the place and I want to keep that tradition going, no matter what happened to me here."  
This makes me sigh as I had expected no less from my best friend and Lea asks: "You want us to move an entire castle? That might be a problem." But here Ienzo shakes his head and says: "The wards of this place are easy to manipulate and surround the entire school from the highest roof all the way to the Dungeons.  
I can simply use those to transport the castle wherever I want, just have to make sure there is enough space for the lands surrounding the castle, is all." And we all smile at the man, all of us happy with the plan and how more and more hurdles are being overcome. Then I look at Sirius and ask: "So, why are you someone Harry trusts?"

_**Sirius' POV**_

I don't really know what Harry means when he says _what happened to me here_, but Neville's idea coming to life and its hurdles being overcome takes my mind off of the words for a while and then his question of why Harry trusts me throws me completely off course, so much I actually burst out laughing in pure shock.  
Everyone looks at me with a raised eyebrow and I sweatdrop a little as I say: "Oh come one, you can't say that question didn't throw you off guard as well." The others snicker and Terra crosses his arms again as he says: "No we can, because we have been waiting for you to explain that for ourselves the entire time."  
And I feel another drop of sweat running down my sleep as I realize that's pretty much the whole reason we all gathered here in the first place, before I sigh and say: "Okay, you want the truth?" And everyone nods, while Harry again goes and grabs my hand, proving to me yet again how much trust and care he has in his heart for me.

Smiling at the little boy I have, for so long, considered my own, do I look at those he will be spending the rest of his life with, knowing I have to convince them to trust me and say: "Harry trusts me, because he – unlike the rest of our world, including the one you heard the tale from – got the chance to hear my side of the story."  
This shocks everyone of them, especially those that are still doubtful of me, no matter how angry this seems to make Harry every time they stare or glare at me sternly and I say: "Yes, I was there when James and Lily were murdered and yes, I was there when the Muggles and Pettigrew were murdered, however –."  
At this I sigh as even that one meeting in the Shack and all the meetings with Harry, where the boy constantly proves to me how much he trusts and cares for me, have yet to fully take away the guilt that was pushed on me and intensified by my years in Azkaban and while I try not to relent to those feelings, do I say:

"I was never the one who caused either of the events. I planned to make the opposite happen and my own plans were used against me. That is the only way in which I am guilty of what happened. Because my own plans, which I had thought of to protect my best friend and godson, were used against me when they were in their prime."  
Everyone looks shocked and I say: "You all heard the tale of Salazar Slytherin and Peter Pettigrew. And you all know that he has someone with the same name living in this time era. And finally was that Second Peter Pettigrew – one of James's best of friends, just like I was." And instantly everyone seems to understand and Aerith says:  
"Pettigrew betrayed the Potters and murdered the Muggles, just like his namesake did to Salazar Slytherin a thousand years ago." I nod and then Terra asks: "But then why does everyone believe you to have killed that rat?" And I laugh, pure and simply because of that last word, something that makes everyone bar Harry look at me.

"He laughs because of your choice of words, Terra. Peter Pettigrew, this one at least, was a Rat Animagus. And that Animagus form – like Sirius used his dog form to stay sane in prison – is what Pettigrew used to make everyone believe Sirius slaughtered him while he escaped the actual scene of the crime."  
Harry then tells us and I feel shocked, before some memories of the last few years resurface and I turn to Sirius as I shout: "So that's why you escaped!" Everyone looks at me, Sirius having stopped laughing to do so and I say: "You recognized Pettigrew. In the newspaper, I mean. He was in the newspaper on the same time as –."  
And while I suddenly feel sick as I realize I actually shared a dorm room with the murderer of a bunch of Muggles and my best friend's parents, does Sirius nod, the same stern looks on his face as there were previously on the face of Terra and he says: "On the same time the Weasleys got into the newspaper, exactly Neville."  
This makes me turn white, as the almost icy tone of hatred that sounds through Sirius' voice is enough to chill anyone's blood and Harry's hand – which is still holding Sirius' – squeezes the man's hand, making the man look at him before he sends me an apologetic glance and Harry then turns to me and continues explaining:

"Sirius actually caught up with Pettigrew, Neville, the day he was supposedly caught and escaped. Pettigrew was supposed to come with all of us that night, but it was full moon and well – I think you can guess what happened." And while I cringe at the idea of Lupin changing like that, do I indeed nod in understanding.  
But then Ventus pushes his body forward and says: "He might, but we don't. What happened?" But Harry shakes his head and says: "I have honor, Ventus, and my honor prevents me from revealing secrets that are not my own." The boy looks lost and hurt, but nods in understanding either way and then Sirius smiles and says:  
"Don't worry, the person we're talking about is a friend of mine. You'll meet with him soon enough." He then looks at the portrait hole and laughs as he says: "To be honest, I'm surprised he hasn't come barging in to bring me back to London yet." And Harry laughs, while I wonder where in London the man could have been hiding.

_**Terra's POV**_

That man might try to make jokes and laugh all he want, but I can tell that the guilt he feels over his plans having gone wrong are still affecting him, just like the manipulation of Master Xehanort, even a year after the man's defeat, still affects me and I keep my stern gaze on the man, while the rest laugh at the man's comments.  
"He and I might be of use to each other. Maybe that's why it was so important for me to find out his side of the story. Why I felt so in need of hearing why Harry trusts a man like him." Goes through my mind and while my eyes fly over my destined mate for a second, do they revolve back to Sirius only a few seconds later.  
The man seems aware of my need to keep looking at him and I feel quite impressed at how well he hides the discomfort he must feel at having my gaze on him all this time, yet I can't help but hope that – in due time – he and I can have a private meeting, just the two of us, where we can help each other ease our senses of guilt.

Then I look at the ones I have – for the last year – been in love with and think: "They too had their reasons for wanting to know the truth. Ven's reasons are easy, he must still remember what it was like to find out Master Eraqus had been hiding the truth from him and Aqua's must have been because she has such a caring heart."  
I then rake my eyes over my other mates, knowing that Aerith and Aqua share the same reasons for wanting to know the truth, that Even just wants to learn more as that is just how the studious blonde genius really is and that Ienzo still has a curious teenage streak inside him, while Lea is probably just protective of Harry.  
Feeling proud of the amazing diversity of reasons, do I turn to the one person who's reasons I can't phantom and I think: "Could it be because she grew up hearing the stories Sirius told us about? The stories Madam Rosmerta shared with us last night? Could she have known there was a lack of the other side of the story?"  
And while I look at Daphne Greengrass, someone who seems to only break through her own mask of disinterest when she reacts to Harry's comments or behavior, can I not help but wonder what happened to the blonde beauty to make her think she actually needs such an emotional mask at the tender age of sixteen.

I then let my eyes rake over the gang one last time and think: "Lea might be the first Destined mate for Harry, the one chosen by the Potter Curse and thus destined for Harry's Potter legacy, but I'm to be the Alpha partner of this family. Just like Simba is the Head of the Lion pride, I am to be leader of this Destined pack of Mates."  
And with that and the growing need to learn as much as I can about each and every one of these people, both for the sake of our bond and to help protect them, care for them and lead them where needed, do I wonder whether or not I was chosen as Harry's Pendragon mate, but shove that thought aside, finding it unimportant.  
Then I look back at the person who is meant for all of us and while I can't help but wonder how one little fifteen year old boy can be meant for so many people – not to mention how he could plan to keep us all feeling loved and valuable – do I know I will do everything I have in my power to make sure he can live his life _his _way.

* * *

_**And there I end it!  
**__**WOW! That was so amazing! Especially the Terra part I had totally not intended that when I started this chapter. I just wanted to have Neville join the group, have Sirius explain and have some plans made to unite Harry with the KH world. I just threw the moving plan aside because that's already in Keyblade's Light.  
**__**Okay, onto other things. YES, Terra will be like the Alpha male of the group and because Harry is a Neutral, will be lead the gang where needed, even if Harry will have a final say in case it involves England or his role as Arthur's Heir. So Harry will be the King of Magical England, but Terra will be his most Dominant Mate.  
**__**Also, I plan to have someone in the gang have a really dark past, but I am personally doubting between Zexion and Daphne. Zexion, because he apparently lost his parents before he became Ansem's Apprentice and Daphne – well, Terra's POV explained that one. Anyway, let me know which one you pick.  
**__**Okay, enjoy,**_

_**Venquine1990  
**__**PS. There is a new poll up for A Cooper Family, please vote.**_


	15. Love And Romance

_**Hey everyone!  
**__**Just wanted to let you know that I have something amazing planned for this chapter and that it will concern both TerraxAquaxVentus as well as some HarryxLea. Now I know there will be people who will probably be against what I have planned as it's probably a little quick, but I have my reasons and they will be explained.  
**__**Okay enjoy,**_

_**Venquine1990**_

* * *

_**Chapter 15  
**__**Love and Romance**_

_**Harry's POV**_

Having explained my reasons for trusting Sirius and having laughed at his little joke about Lupin, I can't help but feel that Sirius is actually right and wonder if it's our new dorms and the fact that Lupin doesn't know the password to them is the cause for my godfather to still be here instead of being locked back up in London.  
The very idea of the man being locked there makes a shiver want to run down my spine, yet the presence of all those that are meant for me makes it almost impossible for me to feel uncomfortable or worried about anything and while Lea is behind me, leaning against the hearth, and Sirius is beside me on a separate chair, do I look around.

Aerith seems to have taken Daphne under her wing and while I wonder how much warmth could be hiding under that cold exterior that made my girlfriend get the title Ice Queen of the Snakes, do I still feel pretty happy as it's obvious by a single look that Aerith is exactly the person Daphne will need to get used to being part of such a large group.  
Even and Ienzo are also seated together, the two of them looking from one of the other groups around them to the other and I wonder if the two of them are studying certain things about their upcoming partners or that there could be a bunch of gossipers hidden under those cool, intelligent exteriors of the two young men.  
Finally is there the little group of three; Aqua, Terra and Ventus, who are all seated together in a triangle on chairs that are almost so close, they could easily be transfigured into a circular shaped couch, something I can't help but feel – just by looking at them – the three sitting there wouldn't even really mind.

Tilting my head a little, I try to look at them a little closer without them noticing, something that seems pretty easy as they really seem engrossed with their conversation and then Lea, who seems to have picked up on my source of interest while leaning against the hearth, says: "You know, they're not just meant for you."  
I look at the man, shocked and wondering what he could be on about, while every glance at him almost makes it hard for me to think of anything other than the moment we shared when we first met a few hours ago and he says: "They're meant for each other just as much. I mean, how can they love you if they can't love each other?"  
This makes me look at the group of three yet again and I ask: "You think there's love growing between them?" Lea nods, something I am almost certain of even if I can't see it and he says: "Just looking at them says there is. I mean, just take a close look at how they behave while they talk. It's really easy to see."

This makes me tilt my head yet again and then I see it. The way Ventus tries to catch Terra's eyes as he talks. The way Aqua's smile widens more than she smiled all day. The way Terra constantly makes a heartfelt gesture, like a pat on the knee, whenever he and the others seem to talk about something that makes them smile or laugh.  
"Those three are definitely more than friends." I whisper softly and Lea nods again, me almost sensing the air around his face move as he does so and he says: "And it's been that way for a while, I can tell. I think what they need is someone they trust that tells them." And without saying it, do I know what Lea is trying to tell me.

Sighing I look at the three of them again and think: "Those three are definitely something special." And while trying to think of a way to get them to admit, can I not help but study the three of them in a way I know can help me later, once our relationship settles a little more and my Inner Nature makes us pick roles.  
Looking at Terra, I can just tell that – while Lea is definitely meant as my Potter mate – this man will be the Leader, the unspoken person who will guide us and help us and tell us how to fight in this war in such a way we all come out of battles mostly unscathed and that – more importantly – none of us die before it's all over.  
Then I look at Ventus and just by looking at how he smiles and laughs, do I think: "Damn, you need a pair of sunglasses to look at that kid." And I know Ven will play an important role as well, one where he will light us up when we're feeling down and where he will constantly make sure we feel happy, safe and loved.  
Then, finally, do I glance at Aqua, the woman that has such a wide loving smile on her face as she looks at her two crushes laughing with each other and the first thought that crosses my mind, do I whisper out loud. "She would make a perfect queen." Making both Sirius and Lea look at me in shock before Lea asks:

"Are you sure that's not meant to be Aerith?" And I send a short glance at the brown haired woman, who by now has her arm around Daphne and who seems to actually be developing a crush on the blond-haired beauty and while I can easily tell by her kind smile and gentle eyes what it is that Lea sees in her, do I turn back to Aqua.  
The woman is laughing with her eyes closed and a hand just in front of her mouth as Terra has Ventus in a headlock and is giving him a nudgy and again the thought of what an amazing queen she would make goes through my mind, my inner hormones coming out to play along and making me envision what her kids would be like.  
Smiling at the mental picture, do I say: "No, it definitely has to be Aqua. Just looking at her makes me know just how far she would go for those she cares for and she obviously easily cares for people, so learning to care for my country should not be a problem for her. I even think she can break several hurtful traditions for others here."

"Like for Remus?" Sirius asks and I think yet again about Umbridge and all the things the woman did to make it harder for my father's friend. I nod and with determination, do I say: "She would definitely set her teeth in making his and the lives of other magical creatures a whole lot better. She would probably eat Umbridge for lunch."  
This makes Lea laugh and he says: "You got a point there. Aqua is definitely not one you can mess with when you did something to her friends or those she cared for. And you're also right in how far she would go for those people. I guess she really would make quite the queen." And I smile with a nod before I decide to stand up.

I walk over to the three, who seem to be completely in their own world as it takes Terra a few seconds before he notices me standing behind Aqua and I ask: "Can we talk somewhere alone?" Smiling at them to let them that the conversation is to improve our bond and the three share a look before they all stand up themselves.  
We then leave for the rooms I share with Sirius and there I give them a playful smirk as I lean against one of the sofas, the things Sirius told me earlier making me feel sure nothing that will be shared here will leave these four walls and I ask: "I got to admit, you three certainly have a closer bond than the rest of my mates, don't you?"  
The three smile at each other and then, feeling like I should do Sirius proud, do I shake my head and say: "That does pose a problem, though." The three look shocked and I say: "You three are my destined mates, which automatically means you're meant for each other as well. But – I guess with a friendship as strong as yours –."  
I then end, feeling I should be awarded for my performance and the three look at each other worriedly, obviously feeling self-conscious about confessing how they feel. I sigh, making it loud as I can tell they need another little push and say: "This sure will make it hard once I have to start making sure my lines can continue."

And Ventus turns red as he hears me, while Terra and Aqua share a worried glance, the two of them obviously confused by the worry they see shining in the other's eyes and I say: "Oh come on already, am I the only one with eyes in his head?" Shocking the three as I continue and say: "No way can friendship be as close as you three are."  
Lying my hands in my hips as I decide not to use my bond with them anymore, but to just be honest with them and get them to confess it the only way I know how; the bold, courageous Gryffindor way. The three of them turn red and I say: "I mean, come on. Just a single look makes you the perfect partners for each other – and for me."

I then turn to Ventus and say: "Ven, you are clearly the light in their lives, simply by being who you are. When you smile, people need bloody sunglasses not to be blinded by it and Terra and Aqua obviously love making you laugh, they tried several times to make that happen in the last thirty minutes, for Merlin's sake."  
I then turn to Aqua and say: "And Aqua, if you're not the perfect, caring, loving, ever loyal and dedicated wife to both of them, then I'm seriously Voldemort's grandson or something. You don't do the things you did because they're your friends. You did those things, because you love them with all your heart and it shows constantly."  
And finally do I turn my face to Terra as I say: "And Terra, you obviously train, work out and try to be the strongest you can ever be, never believing yourself at the height of your strength, because you don't want to fall short on the chance of Aqua and Ventus – you're loved ones – being in danger without you being able to protect them."  
I then turn to the trio as a group and say: "You obviously love each other and I noticed that by just glancing at you for maybe ten to fifteen minutes. You love each other and I'm falling in love with you, just because I am so in awe over all the ways that you are falling for each other every time you just look at each other."

By now the three of them are smiling at each other and Terra has a hand on both Aqua and Ventus' cheek, his thumb rubbing soft circles on Aqua's cheekbone and temple, while Ventus has gone up and pushed Terra's hand between his cheek and shoulder and I turn around, knowing those three deserve their little private moment.  
At the door to the other dorms, do I turn my head one last time, only to smile real widely as I see Terra sharing a loving kiss with Aqua and just before I close the door, do I peek around it and see that Terra has switched his act of romance to Ventus, something that makes me know a kiss between Aqua and Ventus is now inevitable.  
"Got it done?" Lea then asks me as I go back to my seat and while my other mates look at me inquiringly for a second – obviously wanting to know why I went into the room with the three, but came out of the room without them – do I wave at them with a peaceful smile, the four of them taking it as a sign that everything's still okay.  
I then nod at Lea and say: "Tried to trick them and play the Marauder card. Didn't work." Sirius looks intrigued at this and I say: "I'm not the kind of person to go down at it that way. I'm a little too bold for that. Just took the Gryffindor way and went straight with the truth, adding a little speech on my thoughts of them to convince them."

This makes Sirius smile and say: "You do have an amazing way with words, especially the truth." He then leans back in his own chair and with his fingertips against each other and his elbows on the arms of his chair, does he smile at me in pure pride and say: "That ought to have convinced them, no doubt about it."  
This makes me smile and Lea asks: "You do know what this means, right? You're one step closer to getting the whole bonding circle complete. You sure that doesn't make this all go a little too fast for you, little flame?" And I look at the man, again feeling myself getting drowned in that memory as I make another fast decision.  
I stand up, walk over to the man and lie my hand on his cheek, Lea doing nothing but keeping my gaze locked with his, his eyes asking me if I'm sure of the course of action that I'm taking, a wondering gaze that makes me only more determined to prove to him that this is what I want as I use my hand on his cheek to pull him closer.  
I then feel his breath going softly against my lips and hear him whisper: "It's your call, little flame." A sign of trust that makes my heart burst with love and while without a doubt certain that I am of Potter Blood and that this is the man I would have been meant for, multiple inheritances or not, do I press my lips against his.

* * *

_**Like I said, some of you may take offence to this, but I made my decision. Harry won't be going this quick with his other mates, but like I wrote in the last line, I love HarryxLea pairing above any other. It's SO DAMNED EASY TO WRITE I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THOSE TWO AREN'T IN THE SAME CATEGORY!  
**__**And with category I mean why isn't Lea part of the HP movies or why isn't Harry part of the KH games, which brings me to the upcoming. KH III is coming, it will come somewhere next year and there are still speculations about what worlds will be chosen. I know HP isn't Disney, but who wouldn't want to see a HP world?  
**__**Anyway, next chapter will probably be in the POV's of Terra, Aqua, Ventus and Lea as they experience this chapter through their eyes, so I might just splits those four into two each, two POV's per chapter, but that all depends on how long I can stretch the POV's, what they think and how they feel throughout the events of this chapter.  
**__**Also, like I said, Harry won't get this close with his other seven mates this quickly, but I do plan for him to be kissed by his mates before his sixteenth birthday. I think I'll keep further activities to a low, but there will definitely be kids involved in the epilogue; heck I might even do a sequel about how the kids experience their lives as Heirs to so many lines.  
**__**Let me know your thoughts on the HP world,**_

_**Venquine1990**_


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